Eye of The Storm
by Justright
Summary: The captain of a slave trader ship finds love and is subsequently faced with a moral dilemma . . . Of course, it's a Cole and Phoebe alternate universe)
1. Default Chapter

Eye of the Storm  
  
Captain Cole Turner was pacing the cabin impatiently. The men were already busying themselves supplying the ship for the long trip. First to Africa, then all the way to Santo Domingo…  
  
Departure would only be in the morning, but he was tired of being ashore. The ship had undergone refitting for the last month, and he was itching to get back at sea, his only passion. Through the porthole, he could see the frigates of his majesty, and he admired them with envy. He had started as an officer in the royal navy and earned rapid promotions in battle, but eventually his youth had put a stop to his climb in ranks. Feeling that he deserved a better position, he had finally resigned his commission and offered his expertise to a merchant guild, which were always on the lookout for experienced seamen… He could see that one of the frigates was preparing to sail, already anchored in the bay, and it annoyed him even more.  
  
Maybe because his youth forced him to be more severe than most, or maybe it simply was in his nature, but everyone soon knew him as one of the toughest captains around. He ran his ship severely, using the military model with zeal. For this reason, the men knew better than to cross him. However, seamen were the tough kind themselves, and conflicts, sometimes violent, could not be avoided completely. Presently, he heard clamors outside the cabin and grunted at the disturbance.  
  
Captain Turner was not the only one distracted by the sudden noise. On the docks, four women were waiting for a small embarkation, already on its way from the frigate. The three youngest ones were immediately alerted by the clamors, while the oldest, their mother, only gave it a passing look and returned her attention to the coming transport. Subsequently, they witnessed a skirmish between two sailors on a nearby cargo ship. Another man, obviously an officer, was trying to separate them, but they were oblivious to his orders, while the skirmish was quickly developing into an all out fight. Then suddenly, they stopped. It took a moment for the girls to understand why, as the first officer had been shoved to the side and had not tried to intervene again. The seamen were now looking toward the bridge, and they both seemed to recoil in fear.  
  
The first officer seeing the change in their attitude appeared to know what was happening because he looked in the same direction and walked quickly toward it. Only then did the girls notice a tall man, in an impeccable uniform, standing straight and looking directly at the guilty sailors. They could not really see his expression at this point or what he looked like, but the worry on the sailors' faces was enough to tell them that he must have been furious.  
  
Even when the first officer came near him, he still stared at the two sailors for a while longer, and those two took a step back.  
  
Then, he finally turned to his fellow officer:  
  
"What happened, Mr. Wyatt?"  
  
Leo Wyatt answered nervously:  
  
"Nothing to worry yourself about, Captain… Just a disagreement about a wager…"  
  
"I always worry when the men put themselves ahead of the work to be done." He answered severely.  
  
The first officer was new to this ship, but heard that the last one had actually quit. At the moment, he had no trouble figuring out why. He knew, without being told, that the captain was holding him responsible for the disturbance, and wondered how the trip would go with such a bad start. Nevertheless, he knew better than to show apprehension to a superior.  
  
Captain Turner looked him up and down and seemed mildly satisfied, because he continued:  
  
"Well, these two men will have to know the consequences of their actions. On my ship, people disagree on their own time. See to it that they each receive 20 lashes and then be confined for 3 days. But not before today's work is done," he added in the same hard voice. Then, he simply turned around and went back to his cabin, ignoring the look of dismay his first officer cast his way.  
  
The girls had no idea on what had transpired, but it obviously was appalling, given the way the younger officer stared at his superior. Still, Piper, the middle sister was not quite as impressed by his expression as she was by his looks.  
  
Her younger sister's question interrupted her reveries:  
  
"Who was that man?"  
  
Piper was still staring at the officer, now on his way back toward the combatants, and she answered:  
  
"I don't know who he is, but I sure wish I did…"  
  
Phoebe followed the direction of her gaze, while smiling teasingly:  
  
"See something you like?"  
  
Piper started slightly, while glancing back at her sister with the beginning of a blush coloring her delicate features.  
  
"Oh Phoebe, huh well…"  
  
Phoebe pursued:  
  
"Come on sister, don't be shy…"  
  
Piper shrugged with embarrassment. She was rather timid by nature and regretted letting this comment escape her lips. Her sister would never let her forget it.  
  
"Well anyway, I have eyes to see," Phoebe added with a wink;" but he wasn't the one I was referring to…"  
  
Piper stared at her questioningly:  
  
"Who then…?"  
  
Phoebe smiled anew:  
  
"I was talking about the captain; the one who had your beau squirming…"  
  
Piper answered with irritation this time:  
  
"Phoebe, stop that! I was just saying that he seemed like a nice man, that's all…"  
  
"Yeah! Yeah! Well that still doesn't answer my question…"  
  
A young man, who had been watching them admiringly for a little while, saw his chance to talk to them at this point and came forward with the answer:  
  
"His name's Captain Turner… A very tough captain at that… He's got a reputation for being very severe with his men. I wouldn't want to be one of these two sailors, really."  
  
Phoebe turned to him with some interest, and he smiled happily, now that he had her attention. Phoebe almost took a step back at seeing his teeth, which were in very bad shape. The man was altogether unkempt, as were many of the ones busying themselves on the docks and toward various ships. Still, her curiosity pushed her to ask more…  
  
"Thanks, sir. I wonder… What kind of cargo does that ship transport? It's a pretty big ship…"  
  
The man took another step forward, all too happy to satisfy her curiosity.  
  
"Oh, that's a slave trader."  
  
Her expression changed quickly, and the man saw that she was appalled at this revelation.  
  
"Slaves?" She exclaimed. Then as she turned back toward her sisters:  
  
"Oh my, I hadn't thought of this. Of course, there would be some of those," she said with barely contained anger.  
  
The spark of interest she had felt for the handsome Captain vanished at the thought of his trade.  
  
The man tried to catch her attention again:  
  
"But I'm not serving on that ship, myself…"  
  
Phoebe barely acknowledged him and he went back to his observing post with a disappointed expression.  
  
Prue, their older sister, finally intervened:  
  
"No matter… We're leaving this place shortly and will probably never come back. So, frankly let's get busy girls. The boat's almost here…"  
  
Piper sighed heavily, also disappointed by what she had learned. Of course, she also knew that their going to America would have made it difficult to meet that man anyway.  
  
Cole had noticed the girls while going back to his cabin, but not showed it in any way. He had simply thought that such pretty girls looked incongruous in this man's world. He told himself that he was not about to be distracted by any girl, let alone in front of the men. It was a question of discipline and dignity… However, once inside, he could not help looking out through the porthole giving on the docks. His curiosity went up a notch when he saw them embark on a small boat, which immediately sailed toward the frigate he had been watching earlier.  
  
"What would those girls be doing on a warship?" He wondered aloud. However, he shook it off, not willing to dwell on something that he couldn't get the answer to… He could've asked around, but his social skills were far from as refined as were his seafaring ones. What's more, he had never been one to idle talk. He even avoided the traditional supper with his crew, preferring to keep his distance from them. If to most, it seemed a very solitary life, he didn't see things like that. In fact, rare were the times where he missed company. Moreover, on those occasions, it was only for a very masculine need. He turned away resolutely from the porthole. Putting the girls out of his mind, he instead thought of the very pleasant interlude he intended to have at their first destination. He reflected that his interest in those ladies must have been caused more by withdraw than anything else. In his country's port, he was much more careful about exposing his personal habits. Soon, they would be on the coast of Africa, where he knew that his need would be satisfied fully.  
  
In fact, his sexual appetite was the only thing, which told the men that he was human. Other than this, they just thought of him as totally devoid of emotions.  
  
That suited Cole just fine…  
  
The girls were looking nervously toward the frigate that would bring them all the way to America. Their father had insisted on them traveling with the Royal Navy rather than a civilian ship, as he was worried about the numerous attacks on those in the last few years. The Captain had been rather reticent about this, but their father was a former admiral in the said Navy, and still had a strong influence.  
  
After retiring from the navy, he had decided to move to the Americas. He had visited on many occasions through his travels, and found himself falling in love with the new continent. His wife Penelope had stayed behind with their daughters until he had established himself and prepared the place for them. At last, it was time for them to rejoin him there, and as much as they were impatient to see their father, they still apprehended the long trip ahead.  
  
As they were coming closer to the large ship, Piper could not help expressing her doubts and fears:  
  
"I wonder what it's going to be like in America. They say that Indians live there and attack people viciously…"  
  
"Oh Piper, don't be stupid!" Her sister Prue exclaimed. "Father already wrote to us about all of this. We'll be living in a big city, and there are no Indian attacks there. I am more worried about the trip to get there." Prue added, almost in a whisper. She did not want the sailors who accompanied them to hear her comment.  
  
"I am not very comfortable traveling with military people…"  
  
Phoebe answered in the same covert tone of voice:  
  
"Come on Prue, daddy was in the navy too, and you aren't scared of him…"  
  
Prue turned to her with a little irritation:  
  
"Think about it, Phoebe. We're going to be the only women on that ship for over two months…"  
  
Piper opened wide eyes at the implication:  
  
"Prue, those men have respect for our father. I'm sure they wouldn't…"  
  
"Let's not take any chances and stay together, hey?"  
  
Penelope intervened calmly, but firmly:  
  
"Girls, your father wouldn't have risked your safety. You know perfectly well that it is the reason why he wants us on this ship. Navy men are honorable; do not worry yourself like this."  
  
Prue turned sheepishly toward her mother:  
  
"Of course, mother."  
  
She still had her doubts but she respected her mother's opinion.  
  
Besides, she knew that scaring her sisters too much, was not the answer.  
  
The men in the boat were careful not to stare or stand too close. The captain had given them very precise instructions. It didn't keep them from being intrigued by their passengers. It was not every day that beautiful women traveled on one of his majesty's military ships. In fact, for them it was definitely a first.  
  
However, no matter how pretty the sight, they were also worried, just as their superior officers had been. Navigating was a man's affair and women notoriously brought trouble on board…They were just hoping that this would not be the case.  
  
Upon setting foot on the deck, they were pleasantly greeted by the captain, which indicated to them a steward who directed them to their quarters. They found that the captain had gallantly vacated his own cabin for their benefit. The trip seemed less overwhelming to them all of a sudden, as they admired the relatively luxurious cabin.  
  
Soon after their arrival, the ship sailed and they were finally on their way, hopeful that everything would go as planned…  
  
Captain Turner' ship had been on the way for almost three days and they were now approaching their first destination. He was as happy as he ever was with this very lucrative trip. Their cargo hold was filled with goods to be exchanged in the first port, and upon their arrival to Santo Domingo, they would again exchange the slaves for an even more valuable cargo. The winds had been on their side and the first part of the voyage shorter than expected.  
  
However, his good mood was tempered when he saw a ship coming out of the port he was coming into. He recognized the same frigate that had left a day earlier than they, and it just brought back his regrets. He had no qualm about his cargo, whichever nature it was. However, being a Captain merchant was not what he had aspired to. He remembered his ambitions of the past with bitterness. As far as he could remember, he had wanted to go at sea. Even in his youth, working on his father's farm, it had been his greatest aspiration. His mother had passed away when he was sixteen, soon followed by his father. They had owned very little and, as he was an only child, it was to be his. Nevertheless, he had no ambition to live as a farmer for the rest of his life. Therefore, he had sold the farm soon after their death, and used the money to come to the nearest harbor and hire himself on a navy ship. The captain of the said ship had been reluctant at hiring such a young boy with no experience, but Cole had been very convincing. What's more, he was tall and very strong for his age, and soon proved to be an invaluable element of the crew. His discipline, as well as his obvious love of the sea impressed the captain and his superior officers… After only a few years aboard, he had distinguished himself so much that he was promoted to the rank of officer. Then, however, his youth had proven to be a hinder to his career, as well as his lack of formal education. No matter how hard he tried to move up in the ranks afterward, it never happened. That was the reason why he had eventually resigned. Still, watching the proud frigate now, he felt regrets, as he would never again be a part of the Navy. Part of him was also wondering vaguely about the girls he had seen, and he wondered if they were still aboard. Yet, he rejected the thought quickly. No time to dwell on this now more than before, he thought. Only then did he begin to wonder about the frigate's destination. The port that they were coming into was not notorious for any kind of trouble. However, the very nature of slave trading made it possible for a problem to have arisen there. He worried that his sojourn might not be as peaceful as he had anticipated. Then he reasoned that if the frigate was leaving, whatever problems there were must have been dealt with… No matter he would know soon enough.  
  
Patricia had gotten very upset when she heard that they were taking a side trip toward Africa. However, the Captain had been inflexible, saying that they had important prisoners to bring back along with them. These were a few notorious pirates, which the American authorities were impatient to try. They had been a thorn in their sides for a while, and then fled to Africa. The British government had arranged for them to be returned, and it was his duty to complete this mission. Patricia did not rejoice at the idea, but had to comply, given the little choice that she had. On the other hand, her daughters were very curious about this continent, about which they had heard so many stories. They were somewhat deluded however when they got there, as the port seemed like any other busy city. Moreover, they had seen a number of slaves obviously awaiting transport in an enclosure, and they suddenly felt that this place did not have the magic that they had hoped for…  
  
They still use the little time that they had ashore to buy a few trinkets and found that in spite of their first impression, the people there seemed very friendly.  
  
In fact, maybe a little too friendly, as many men had come too close for comfort, while smiling luridly at the girls.  
  
In the end, they were relieved to return to the ship.  
  
They arrived at the same time as the boat bringing in the prisoners. There were three of them and Prue could not help stare at one in particular. He was rather handsome; nothing like what she would have expected in a criminal. He stood tall in spite of the chains that were barring most of his movements, and she thought that he looked almost noble, no matter what she believed that she knew about him. As she was observing him, he turned toward her, and incongruously, almost smiled at her. She jumped but did not look away, surprising herself. It had been very fleeting, but she had read something in his eyes that gave her pause.  
  
Only when the three men were led toward the lower deck did she return her attention toward her sisters. These two were watching her curiously.  
  
Phoebe, always the most outspoken, was the first to ask:  
  
"What was that Prue?"  
  
"What do you mean," Prue replied, feigning ignorance.  
  
"Oh come on," Phoebe insisted, "Piper was really obvious with her sailor a few days ago but you were even more intense…"  
  
Piper cast a somewhat angry look at her younger sister, not happy to be reminded of her indiscretion. However, she quickly dismissed her irritation as she was just as curious about her big sister's attitude.  
  
"I really don't see what you're talking about. I was just curious about the prisoners… It's not every day that we see criminals up close…" Then, she added almost to herself:  
  
"And frankly, they're nothing like I imagined…"  
  
Phoebe smiled anew:  
  
"Uh oh…"  
  
Prue turned to her completely, this time with an indulgent smile. She liked her sister a lot, although sometimes she could be a pain. Thus, the reproach that she uttered then sounded more like an amused banter:  
  
"Oh Phoebe, would you please leave it alone…"  
  
Phoebe giggled and kept her comments to herself afterward.  
  
As they were getting back to their cabin, however, she reflected that her interest in her sisters' little crushes might have more to do with her inability to quash an image that she couldn't quite get rid of… Ever since the incident on the docks, the handsome captain had come to her mind more than once, to her utter irritation. First, even if he had not been someone that she despised for his activities, he would still have been unattainable for the distance. Yet, no matter how many arguments she had with herself, he persisted in invading her thoughts frequently. Once more, she tried to shrug away the rush of feelings that he had inspired in her, and she decisively entered the cabin, determined to forget about him this time.  
  
As they were docking, Captain Turner stood on his bridge, watching the port for any sign of trouble. Or, that was what he was telling himself… Ever since he had watched the frigate leaving, he had tried to concentrate on the possible situation that he would find there, but could only wonder if the girls had stayed behind… They had looked like sisters to him, at least the three youngest ones, and very pretty, he admitted grudgingly. Again, even as he was surveying the docks, he wondered about the strange interest he had for them, and in particular for one of them that had seemed more vivacious than the other two. Still, he had never intended to be with one woman for life, and was not about to change his mind on the matter. His only love was the sea, he tried again to convince himself. Women were just a pleasant distraction. He suddenly turned to his first officer, and in an out of character agitation, uttered:  
  
"I'm going ashore… See to it that the cargo is unloaded quickly, and the hold prepared for the slaves. I'll be back later tonight."  
  
Leo was not overly surprised, as he had no real idea on his captain's habits. However, some of the men looked curiously at him, as he went down the gangway. He usually had girls brought on the ship, as he seemed to abhor life on the land, and possibly much more exposing himself to public scrutiny.  
  
This worried the sailors somewhat, as they wondered what might've motivated him to leave the ship. Still, they knew that only their hard work would satisfy the captain. So even the more worried ones set their apprehension aside and began unloading the cargo.  
  
His first stop was for the port authorities, where he intended at least to verify if anything was amiss. The Captain's visit startled the commissioner as well, since he usually had to go onboard to complete the transactions. Captain Turner had never graced the commissioner's office with his visit and it made him nervous.  
  
"No sir, nothing's the matter. Although, we did get a frigate coming in to pick up some pirates… They actually left not long ago… Was that the reason for your concerns?"  
  
Cole just answered curtly:  
  
"I am in no way concerned, sir. I'm simply cautious… The company I work for would not appreciate any kind of delay; no more than I would."  
  
The commissioner was much older than Cole, but still felt intimidated by him somewhat. The Captain inspired something akin to fear in most people, as they could sense danger emanating from him. As if they knew that he was containing his temper at great efforts.  
  
"Rest assured, Captain. There won't be any delay, and you'll be able to sail with your cargo tomorrow afternoon at the most."  
  
Cole just nodded and took leave of the man brusquely, although not before signing the needed paperwork.  
  
Once outside, he hesitated between going back to the ship and the urge to look around. Almost without thinking, he moved toward the more animated part of town. He found himself scrutinizing the few European women that he met and finally got angry with himself.  
  
"What's the matter with me," he almost uttered aloud. Decisively this time, he moved toward the house of a Madam that was in the habit of supplying him with women. He had only visited the place once before to set an account with her, but still remembered where it was located. The lady of the house seemed to recognize him immediately even though, he only met her once. He was the kind of man that women tended not to forget. She immediately showed him to her tacky salon, where girls were lazily lounging around in flimsy clothing, which was mostly meant to show off the merchandise.  
  
She showed him to a comfortable chair and immediately offered him a brandy. She might not have met him more than those two times but she knew him to be a very good customer of hers, nevertheless. A few of the girls knew him from previous visits and although he tended to be rough on occasions, they still were interested, as he usually was one to give generous bonuses afterward. A few approached him tentatively, but for some reason that day, he found that none of those was to his liking. He finally realized that he was looking for a particular look and the anger swelled again in him.  
  
It was then more to prove something to himself than because he actually felt the need anymore that he set down the glass and got up quickly, grabbing the first girl before him by the arm, and pulling her roughly toward the back room. He did not wait for her to undress as he pushed her down on him, never even looking at her. The girl was startled at first but she was used to all manners of men. Soon, she expertly got an arousal from him and for a short moment, he forgot all about the other girl, pulling the prostitute to him and throwing her roughly on the bed before he took his pleasure with her quickly.  
  
He then dressed up without a word and threw some coins at her before going out of the room with an odd sense of unfulfilled longing. He could not admit to himself that he was responsible for his own lack of satisfaction, and almost did not pay the Madam on his way out. Only his sense of honor prevented him from doing just that.  
  
Years of discipline, and the habit of ignoring his emotions, allowed him to repress the confusion that had invaded his thoughts by the time he got back to his ship. He promised himself then and there, that he would not be thinking of that girl ever again…  
  
The frigate was only about a hundred miles at sea when the weather changed radically. Squalls were hitting the bridge's window furiously and the Captain of the Frigate could see the surf growing in size steadily. He considered going around the storm, but decided in the end that his ship was solid and good enough to face bad weather. They then moved further into the depression.  
  
Phoebe felt sick to her stomach soon after the storm started; this, mixed in with fear, made her utterly uncomfortable. Her sisters were not in any better shape, and neither was Penelope. Their father might have been in the Navy, but if he was a seafarer, obviously Phoebe thought that it had not been passed on to them in the least. Soon the luxurious cabin began to feel like a prison to them; one that would be thrown side to side mercilessly.  
  
In the lower deck, the prisoners were also worried about the situation:  
  
"Well, I'm guessing that we might not have to wait for the rope to die," said Paul, the man that had caught Prue's fancy.  
  
"This captain is crazy," he pursued somewhat nervously. The other two simply nodded, just as anxiously. The three of them were used to be at sea and even to bad weather, but usually they were in control of their vessels. Their inability to be in charge of the situation added to their concern.  
  
At least, they had removed the chains before locking them up in the small cell, which was to be their quarter for the duration of the voyage. Right now, they felt like the walls were closing in on them. Moreover, after a while they heard loud cracking noises that did nothing to reassure them. Outside the cell, they heard a different sound, just as loud, which told them that some barrels must have broken loose from their moorings. To the three of them, Paul's gloomy prediction seemed increasingly real.  
  
Fifty feet waves washed the upper deck repeatedly, a few sailors having already been lost at sea. The captain was becoming more and more desperate, as he could see that in spite of his efforts, the ship was breaking apart. After one more hit from a particularly large wave, he heard a louder cracking sound coming from the center of the ship. He turned to see the mast coming down toward the bridge and barely had time to move aside. A few of the officers were not as fortunate and died on the spot. This included the helmsman, as the mast had fallen directly on the helm, effectively taking away his control of the ship. No matter, since he could already imagine the gaping hole in the hull. It did not take long to confirm this, as he could feel the ship being pulled irremediably by the weight of the water filling it quickly.  
  
In the cell, the men were now certain that the end was near, as they saw water seeping rapidly under the door. Only by luck did they avoid drowning then. One of the barrels that had been loosened earlier came crashing into the door, breaking it opened. At first, an onslaught of water pushed the prisoners toward the back of the cell, but as this one was filling, they managed to swim out of it.  
  
The captain knew that he couldn't do anything to save the ship, and sent the only officer left with him to find the ladies and try to get them to a canoe. In this storm, he had little hope that they would survive, but their chances were still better than if they stayed on the sinking vessel.  
  
The very nervous officer did not have to tell them twice, as the ladies were already aware that something had gone terribly wrong. He advised them to hold on to whatever they could find on the way, as the waves were still pounding on the deck mercilessly. After a long and unnerving trek, they finally came to the canoe. They had enormous difficulties embarking, as the ship swerved dangerously under their feet. The officer waited until they had tied themselves in the boat fearfully. Then he began lowering it toward the furious sea… They were almost to it, when the canoe stopped in midair. Only moments later, they saw the officer practically flying off the deck and plunging heavily into the sea. He never reemerged. The girls screamed of fright at the sight, and then, even louder when they spotted the three men quickly coming down the rope toward them… Prue soon recognized the pirate that she had seen before they left Africa. For some reason, it calmed her down some, although, she knew that she had no reason to trust him.  
  
One of them pulled a saber that they assumed he must have taken from the officer, and cut the rope at once. The canoe fell heavily toward the water and the men quickly paddled away from the sinking ship, as the women huddled fearfully. 


	2. Eye of The Storm (Chapter 2)

Eye of the Storm  
  
Chapter II  
  
The delay was getting on his nerves. By all account they should be well on their way by now…Yet, this salvage operation was prolonging well beyond what he had agreed to…  
  
It had been two whole days since they had spotted the first debris, and they still had not found a single survivor. What's more, they did not even know which ship it was. Not for a moment did Captain Turner imagine that it might have been the frigate. To him, these ships were the best in the world and practically indestructible.  
  
He made a decision about this on the spot and did not lose time before implementing it. He went to find his first officer, which was busy watching the waters, obviously still searching for possible embarkation…  
  
"Mister Wyatt," he called to him.  
  
Leo turned to him with a startled expression. He had been concentrating on his task and did not expect his superior.  
  
"Captain," he answered, slightly uncomfortable.  
  
The Captain approached stiffly:  
  
"I do think that this endeavor of yours has lasted long enough. The more time we waste, the more likely that we will lose some of the cargo and I won't have it… It is now obvious that no one survived this wreck…"  
  
Leo tried to insist:  
  
"Sir, it's only been two days and the current might have pushed some of them well out of the way. I don't think that…"  
  
The expression on his Captain's face stopped him short.  
  
"Mister Wyatt, I will let this pass one last time. However, know that when I say something, I always mean it, and do not expect anyone to contradict me. We are returning to our original course now. Is that clear?"  
  
Leo had to repress a sigh before he answered stiffly:  
  
"Yes, sir…"  
  
Cole stared at him a moment longer then turned toward the bridge, knowing that his first officer would not attempt any more protests.  
  
He was almost there when a clamor from the watchman stopped him.  
  
Looking back, he saw many of his men massing on the port side. The helmsman was already turning toward the sighting, and Captain Turner took once more the direction of the bridge, intent on getting a closer look with his spyglass. From this distance, he could only see a canoe, but not much more, except that it was fitted with a strange little sail…  
  
As they were closing in, he recognized what he had thought to be a sail as a woman's undergarment. This was the first surprise, but not the last…  
  
Prue squinted when opening her eyes, as she was directly facing the bright sky. She was barely conscious, as it was, half-dreaming, half-aware of her environment. The memories of what had brought her there were still flooding her mind painfully.  
  
She could feel her sisters huddling against her, telling her that they, at least, were still with her…  
  
Two days earlier, they had watched the ship sink quickly after their escape. They had not capsized themselves only by miracle. However, not all of them had survived, she remembered bitterly. At some point, one of the pirates had made a move toward them. It was still unclear what his intentions were at the time, but Prue, always the defender, had tried to stand up to protect her family. Her mother had reacted to this and, fearful that Prue would go overboard, had gotten up in turn to prevent it. To do so she had to unfasten the rope holding her to the boat and unfortunately, she was ultimately the one who fell, carried over the side by a wave. What happened next astonished Prue and her sisters. The pirates, of whom they had been so afraid, actually tried to save her… Prue tried to jump after Patricia but Paul, the first pirate that she had seen on the ship, held on to her while the other two tried to reach for Patricia. However, they too fell overboard and no matter how hard they tried to find them afterward, they soon realized that it was hopeless. Prue had been angry with Paul at first for what he did, but he soon stopped her protestations:  
  
"Miss, if you'd jumped, all you'd have accomplished would've been to kill yourself. I lost my friends too, remember?" He added this sadly, and this impressed on Prue more than his words. "We tried and failed," he continued, "I presume that it was your mother? Well, I'm sure that she'd have wanted you to live… "  
  
Prue had still struggled a moment longer, but could not deny what he was saying. However, the situation being what it was, she did not believe that they would actually survive.  
  
For the next few hours, which seemed like eternity, they held on for dear life. At last, the storm subsided, but then, all they could see was the vast ocean with nothing else in sight. The small sail that had been on the canoe was torn apart by the winds, so Paul asked for one of their garments as a replacement. Prue had agreed to this, even though, she felt very embarrassed to shed any clothing in such proximity to a stranger. However, once more the man surprised her by giving her the little privacy that they could afford on such a small embarkation. Afterward, as they watched him fit the makeshift sail, she found herself curious about the man. This pirate was becoming more of a surprise at every turn, and Prue found herself wondering what might have happened had they any hope at this point. Even in their grief, exhaustion was getting the better of them, so they had soon fallen in an uneasy sleep, drained by their emotions and their struggle to survive. For the next excruciating two days, they had spent a lot of time in contemplation not only of the loss that they had suffered, but also of the terrible fate that most probably awaited them.  
  
They talked very little except that at some point, Prue felt the need to know more about what had happened on the ship. Paul was definitely not the kind of man she had imagined a criminal would be. However, she could not forget the fate of the officer, so that when her sisters had fallen asleep once more, she questioned him about it:  
  
"Sir?"  
  
He was looking away at the time and turned to her:  
  
"What is it? And please call me Paul. Formalities seem rather ridiculous at this point," he added with a little smile.  
  
His expression was so peaceful and calm that Prue almost backed out of it. She could not imagine that such a man would have willingly hurt the poor officer. At least, she did not want to imagine it.  
  
"Miss? Did you want something?" He questioned at last, when her silence prolonged.  
  
"Well, yes…" She still hesitated, unsure of his reaction.  
  
Then, she blurted it out:  
  
"Why did you kill that man?"  
  
Paul grimaced at this.  
  
Yet, he answered right away:  
  
"I know what it looked like. But I assure you, none of us meant this. We offered him to come with us… Instead, he pulled his saber and came after us. In hindsight, I imagine now that he was afraid of what we might do to you…"  
  
He added convincingly:  
  
"I swear to you, it was an accident…"  
  
Prue was still a little doubtful however:  
  
"Maybe so, but I can't ignore that you were prisoners on that ship…"  
  
He shrugged irritably but replied nevertheless:  
  
"In the present situation, I don't think that it matters much anymore… However, know that there's a difference between contraband and murder. In fact, our kind of activities was not so badly regarded until we unfortunately hit on a target that got the attention of the Americans. Foreign ships are frequent sights over there, and usually unwelcome. However, the last one that we attacked had some dignitary on board, who had some influence with the authorities." He shrugged again at her dismayed expression.  
  
"Anyway, like I said, it doesn't matter much now…"  
  
Prue really wanted to believe that he was not as bad as she had thought first, so she simply dismissed her lingering concerns for the moment… However, there was another question burning her lips, and even more so when she recognized the signs of discouragement in his speech:  
  
"Do you think that we have a chance?" She asked fearfully. As he seemed to be thinking about it, Prue felt some remorse at her own worries. She could not help feeling selfish to think of her own survival, while her mother had not…  
  
Finally, he uttered:  
  
"I can't promise you anything. However, I will do my best to get us out of this," he added sincerely, while observing the sky. This seemed to Prue as if he thought that salvation would come from it.  
  
"I don't want you to think that I do not appreciate your optimism… However, how are you supposed to save us?"  
  
For the first time since the accident, Prue saw that he was actually looking at her, and a thin smile formed on his lips, which gave her a warm feeling inside in spite of her worries.  
  
"The clouds are receding as we speak, soon I will be able to point us in the right direction. Hopefully…"  
  
Prue gave him a questioning look, seeing his hesitation.  
  
"Hopefully, we are close enough to the coast to reach it in time…"  
  
Afterward, they kept silent, as Prue contemplated the thin hope that they had left. They said very little from then on…  
  
The second day saw them increasingly desperate and weak from dehydration.  
  
Sleep, or rather semi-consciousness, was their only relief…  
  
Now, Prue was waking up to the same hopeless situation, or so she thought until she heard what sounded like muffled calls…  
  
They were now close enough that Cole could read the faded lettering on the side of the boat, and this confirmed the suspicion he had since he had identified the sail material. He deciphered the words RN Dictator, and finally had to admit that he had been wrong. "Then, it was the frigate," he thought, appalled. He would never have believed it possible. He immediately was reminded of the girl, while an uneasy feeling coursed through him. It had been a long time since he had had any feeling for another. He could only remember vaguely the affection that he had for his mother. However, it was so long ago, when he was still a child. His parents had raised him with strength in mind, not love. Being an only child, he had never really made any friends or known camaraderie. His father's motto was that work was a reward in itself, and that only a dedicated person could succeed in this life. He had convinced himself long ago that his parent's lack of affection was simply a sign of strength. Love was for the weak, as well as worrying about others. However, at this moment, he was experiencing this weakness and it embarrassed him somehow. The urge to go join his men, who were now putting a canoe to the sea, was almost overwhelming. Nevertheless, rather than succumb to this urge, he berated himself for what he considered an unbecoming emotion and steeled himself against it.  
  
He still watched the maneuver from his post, however. The men were already moving toward the boat, while they were calling to any possible survivors. No one answered apparently, because they kept on calling until they were almost to it. As soon as they had a hold of the boat, the men gestured wildly toward the ship, indicating no doubt that they had found people inside. They hooked up the boat to their own and simply hauled it behind them.  
  
Prue saw the men, but her exhaustion kept her from reacting, as she actually thought that it might all be part of some dream, at first. In fact, none of them did, as her sisters were still asleep apparently, as was Paul. She wondered about it, suddenly worried that they were more than simply asleep, but realized that she herself did not have any strength left. She still tried to speak but the words would not come out, her mouth and throat being on fire. Soon she felt strong arms pulling her toward the ship that she now could see was a merchant ship of some kind, and only then did she realize that someone had really found them. In a daze, she thought that the ship seemed familiar somehow. However, long before she had figured out why, she blacked out.  
  
Phoebe thought that she was dreaming, or rather having a nightmare, as she felt herself being pulled and pushed without quite knowing who was doing it. With great effort, she opened her eyes for an instant, and was astounded when as she looked up, she saw the Captain that had been on her mind for the last few days. He was watching her from a distance, and she wondered if this was simply a trick of her imagination. "Maybe, I will just wake up and found that it was all a nightmare," she thought wistfully, as she closed her eyes again and willed it to be just that. By the time that she reopened them, the Captain had gone, but in his place, she saw many men, just as unkempt as she had seen before their departure. They were now picking her up again from the hard surface that she was lying on, and carrying her god knew where. Like her sister, she blacked out long before she found out…  
  
Captain Turner felt an emotion that was unusual for him: apprehension. He watched as his men were bringing in the survivors, practically holding his breath. When he saw her among them, he could not resist leaving the bridge and coming closer. As they lay her down on the deck, she opened her eyes and seemingly looked directly at him. All at once, he felt an infinite relief and an uneasiness that was just as unfamiliar to him. She closed her eyes again, and the worries came back flooding. However, he also noticed the curious looks that some of the sailors were giving him. Immediately, he put on a dignified expression, but instead of going back toward the bridge, he went to his cabin.  
  
The men watched him still, but soon dismissed this as another strange occurrence in their captain's behavior, no more.  
  
They then busied themselves, carrying the survivors toward the lower deck, where a medic took care of them as best he could. The man soon woke up, but was weak and only stayed conscious for a few minutes. He had still taken the time to inquire about his companions before again falling into a deep sleep.  
  
Phoebe had no idea how much time had passed when she felt water on her lips and woke up with a start, surprised by the sensation. A man of about thirty was leaning toward her, with a concerned expression. She felt dizzy and disoriented. The memories of the last two days were slowly coming back to her, but she could not reconcile them with the sight of the stranger before her. Then she remembered seeing the captain and the other men around her. She finally let herself believe that they were safe, with an inward sigh of relief. However, when she tried to talk, no coherent sound came out of her mouth. She felt horribly weak, and accepted the water gratefully, which the man was offering again, managing to drink some in spite of her swollen throat.  
  
After she had a few painful sips, she moved her head slowly side to side, trying to find her sisters. These were no where in sight, although she could see other cots in the room. The man seemed to understand what she wanted because he offered:  
  
"Your friends are well. They awakened already and only went out for a moment. You need more rest, miss. You were in a pretty bad shape…"  
  
Phoebe looked back painfully toward the man. She had no trouble believing him about her condition. She felt cold and drenched. Every muscle in her body was hurting.  
  
They obviously had not removed her wet clothes. And although she was grateful that her modesty was preserved, she longed for warmth, as she felt herself drift into unconsciousness once more.  
  
Meanwhile, Piper and Prue had managed to get up, and then decidedly gone to find someone in authority on this ship.  
  
They found Leo coming down from the bridge, and he stopped short at their arrival.  
  
"Mister," Prue called.  
  
"We were wondering what your intents were about us? We need to go back to port as soon as possible and to get private quarters with some dry clothes as well."  
  
She had said this all in one breath, only to realize that the man was looking at her sister rather than paying any attention to her.  
  
"Mister? It's vital that we reached a port shortly," she insisted.  
  
Leo finally turned to her:  
  
"I'm afraid that it won't be anytime soon, Miss. Our Captain feels that we have lost enough time as it is. I'm afraid that you will have to accept our humble hospitality for the duration…"  
  
Prue and Piper gave him dismayed looks, and then Prue questioned:  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"We are bound for Santo Domingo, which is about 2 months away…"  
  
He gave them an apologetic smile.  
  
Prue exclaimed:  
  
"Two months! That won't do, and it's not even our destination…"  
  
Leo' smile vanished, but he continued calmly:  
  
"That is the best that we can do. In all truth, the cargo we carry can't take any more delay. Rest assured that we will try to make your sojourn as comfortable as possible."  
  
Piper had jumped at the sight of this man. She could hardly believe that they were on the same ship, and contrary to her sister at this point, the idea of staying around longer had some appeal for her. However, being reminded of the cargo, and even more of the possible living conditions, shook her out of her contemplation.  
  
"We can't possibly stay in the quarters that have been assigned to us. There is no privacy there…" she uttered, appalled.  
  
Leo seemed to think about it for a moment.  
  
"I'll have a talk with the Captain about this, but that's all I can promise you…"  
  
Earlier, he had found himself in the Captain's cabin and had already discussed the situation with him.  
  
Leo did not know him very well, but by now he had heard talks around the ship, and understood that something was up with his Captain. However, he knew better than to ask about it. Instead, he took his courage in hand and began:  
  
"Captain, I think that we should consider turning around and bringing the survivors back to port, as we are not so far out in our journey…"  
  
Captain Turner had stared at him with what he thought was utter disbelief:  
  
"Are you implying that after losing two whole days to look for them, now we should lose more time just to bring them back?"  
  
His tone of voice warned Leo not to push the subject. However this one still tried.  
  
"Sir, it's simply that one of them is in very bad shape… And besides, having women on board…"  
  
"Stop right there. The women will have to adapt, because I have no intention of returning to port." Then his expression seemed to change noticeably:  
  
"How sick is this person?"  
  
Leo was surprised at his concern, considering his first reaction, but answered nevertheless:  
  
"The medic thinks that she should get well, but would need better conditions than the men's quarters…"  
  
His Captain changed back to his severe stance again, which just confused the first officer more. "Then, if she is to recover, I don't think that it warrants any delay. We are continuing on our route, and if we meet a ship going either where they were destined to, or back to England, we will see then…Dismissed!"  
  
Cole turned away from Leo and this one understood that he would not get any further with him. He left and considered what he had witnessed. If he had not known better, he would have thought that the man was actually losing it. His sudden mood swings were so strange…  
  
Outside the cabin, he'd sighed and decided to wait a while before informing the survivors…  
  
After Leo had left, Cole almost went to find out for himself who was so sick. He could not help the worry from invading his thoughts even if he tried very hard. For a long moment, he debated with himself, dying to know if she was all right, but unwilling to let anyone know of his feelings… At this point, he had no idea what those meant… "Why should I worry about her?" He questioned himself. "She is only a girl, one among many…"  
  
Now of course, Leo saw that his problem was back. Even if it had not been for their comfort, he still thought that keeping the girls in the men's quarters was a bad idea. Already, some of the men had been hovering near their quarters, disrupting the work, and he told himself that maybe it was the right argument to use with his captain. This time, he promised himself that he would make him listen.  
  
Taking leave of the girls, he went toward the Captain's cabin with apprehension, but also with as much determination as he could muster.  
  
Piper and Prue, worried about their sister, did not lose any more time on the deck. What was more, they were still cold in their clothing, and the wind was making it worse.  
  
When they were almost to it, Paul appeared suddenly by Prue' side.  
  
She jumped, but did not back away.  
  
"Miss…"  
  
In all this time on the boat, she had not told him her name, not even after he gave his own. She hesitated a second, then she uttered:  
  
"Halliwell, Prue Halliwell."  
  
He smiled back, encouraged:  
  
"Well, Miss Halliwell, I wanted to thank you…"  
  
Prue frowned slightly, wondering about this:  
  
"Thank you for what?"  
  
"For not telling them," he replied, almost in a whisper.  
  
Piper and Prue had already agreed that since he had helped them, they would keep what they knew about him to themselves, at least for the moment.  
  
She just nodded in acknowledgement, but could not quite move away. For a long moment, they just stared at each other and then, he was the one who left. Prue seemed transfixed and Piper had to shake her out of her apparent trance.  
  
"Hey, sis…? We were going to check on Phoebe, remember?"  
  
Prue turned to her irritably, as if Piper had broken some spell or pulled her out of a most pleasant dream. Then, instead of answering, she took the direction of the quarters. Piper shook her head a few times, aware that something was brewing between Prue and the pirate, but she soon followed…  
  
Leo got to the Captain's cabin, only to find that he was not there. He knew that he was not on the bridge either, as he had come from there. This left him looking around in puzzlement.  
  
Cole was watching her sleeping and his confusion only deepened while he wondered what he was doing there. He had watched the girls on the deck and knew then that she was the one who was sick. From that moment on, he could not resist his urge anymore.  
  
He had come here without quite thinking about what he would say or do. Once there, he found the door opened and her alone. He wondered where the medic had gone, but was grateful that no one had seen him. He slowly moved toward her but stopped a few feet away. She was so pale. He worried that the medic was wrong about her eventual recovery. He did not know how long he had been standing there, just watching, but then she opened her eyes again and for a fleeting moment, she smiled weakly.  
  
Phoebe again wondered if she was dreaming. The captain was there again, but she assumed that he would simply vanish once more, as he most certainly was a figment of her imagination. In fact, she was feeling feverish now and thought that it must have been a sign of delirium. However, this time the illusion did not go away, and she realized with a start that it was no dream. The smile vanished from her lips, as she debated whether she should be glad that he was for real or simply angry with him for what he did. With the uncertainty weighing on her mind, she turned away from him.  
  
In that instant, when she had smiled, he had felt warmth inside as he did not know existed. Then, as soon as she had turned away, it was as if she had given him something and took it away before he had a chance to understand it. Somehow, he resented her for robbing him of this new feeling. Rather than trying to understand why, he stepped away from her, and almost bumped into her sisters as they were coming in.  
  
They had not seen the Captain yet, and were unsure who this man was.  
  
Prue looked at Phoebe first, and then turned back toward him with fire in her eyes:  
  
"What were you doing here?"  
  
Startled and unaccustomed to have someone addressing him in this fashion, he retorted angrily.  
  
"Do you have any idea who I am, Miss?"  
  
He asked this with a voice that had made more than one man take a step back. However, Prue was not going to be intimidated. Not when her sister' safety was concerned. "Whoever you are, I don't care. All I care about is that you were in this room with my sister and you had no business being here…"  
  
He moved toward her threateningly, increasingly upset with her impertinence:  
  
"It so happens, young lady, that you're on my ship, and I have no need to justify being anywhere on it, unlike you."  
  
Prue finally sensed that she should be careful somehow. She breathed deeply in relief when Leo came in, followed by a man who was carrying clothing. Leo had no idea what the argument was about but figured that he should intervene, particularly knowing his captain's lack of patience.  
  
"Sir, may I have a word with you?"  
  
Cole stared a moment longer in Prue's direction. Then with one last fleeting look toward Phoebe, he turned to leave the room, even as the sailor offered the clothing to the girls.  
  
"There you go Mam," he said, while looking at Piper expectantly.  
  
Piper wrinkled her nose at the sight. The simple idea of wearing men's clothing was almost unimaginable to her. The man became apologetic:  
  
"I'm sorry Mam, but we don't have many women coming on board, and you wouldn't want the clothes from the ones that do…"  
  
Again reminded of the kind of cargo the ship was carrying did not help Piper's reticence, and she kept her distance. Prue took over for her then, picking up the clothes and thanking the man before pushing him out the door resolutely.  
  
"Come on Piper, we need to have something warm and dry to wear. It's only going to be for a while…"  
  
"If you say so…" Piper took one of the garments and began to undress reluctantly.  
  
Meanwhile, Prue took care of her other sister, who could barely move still, and was shivering. She felt her forehead and frowned worriedly when she realized that Phoebe had a fever.  
  
On the way to the main deck, Leo had meant to convince his superior to relinquish his cabin to the ladies, but the distracted look on Captain Turner's face told him to wait a little longer.  
  
'At last, when they were coming out in the open, the Captain seemed to remember his first officer:  
  
"You had something to say," he asked abruptly.  
  
"Well… yes, as a matter of fact, I do."  
  
The Captain looked curiously at him:  
  
"You know Mister Wyatt; I never had an officer with so much bravado. Usually, they do not dare trying to contradict me, or to council for that matter…"  
  
Leo could feel the veiled warning behind these words, but he chose once more to ignore it. He vaguely wondered about his career in this company, but could not back off on this. He then decided to give one last try to his first proposition.  
  
"I do think that you should reconsider turning back the ship…"  
  
The Captain reacted at this and Leo knew that he would not answer favorably to his request.  
  
"I thought that I made myself clear earlier."  
  
"Sir, I thought that you might have reconsidered seeing that you…"  
  
"I haven't changed my mind," the Captain interrupted firmly.  
  
Leo took a deep breath then, and went for what he was really hoping for:  
  
"Then, I would strongly suggest that you gave the ladies the use of your cabin."  
  
This time the Captain just frowned at his first officer, and Leo pursued quickly:  
  
"It would be better for all involved, as the men are already getting distracted by their presence. Besides, the quarters are cold and damp. Not a very good environment to recover in…"  
  
Leo expected another rebuff and braced himself, but instead the Captain only questioned:  
  
"Where am I supposed to go in the meantime?"  
  
His lack of reaction surprised Leo once more, but he did not lose time taking advantage of it. "I've already given orders to prepare the quarters adjacent to the bridge for you, sir…"  
  
"You have?"  
  
"Yes, sir…" Leo replied as dignified as he could under the circumstances.  
  
Without another word, the Captain stepped away and went back to his cabin, leaving Leo wondering what just happened. He shook his head and took the direction of the bridge, knowing that he had done all he could at this point. Less than fifteen minutes later, he saw the captain coming toward the bridge carrying a bag, and he had to repress a smile of satisfaction.  
  
That night, the girls moved to the more spacious cabin and they finally enjoyed some privacy, although their concern for Phoebe deepened, as she was in and out of consciousness, and the fever did not seem to withdraw. They had hoped that it was only a reaction to the cold water and the fatigue, but Prue began to fear that she might suffer from an actual disease. The medic came to visit many times but he was not much help. Therefore, in the end they simply took turns to stand vigil and prayed that they would not lose another member of their family.  
  
Cole had been tempted to refuse his first officer's request when remembering her rejection. Yet, after a few minutes of reflection, he had rationalized that it was the honorable thing to do, ignoring the feeling that still lingered in his heart.  
  
Later that night, he heard the medic talking about her condition worsening and almost went to her again. Still, he could not bear another rejection. For the next three days, he worried silently, barely sleeping and often watching his cabin. He never asked about her, but listened surreptitiously to the medic's reports. On the third day, he could not take it anymore, and was on his way there, when he spotted one of her sisters coming out for the first time. She was the one who had been so impertinent when he had met her. He saw the smile on her face, as she looked out at sea and knew that things must have changed for the better. The relief he felt then finally told him what he had not dared admit until now. He had to win Phoebe's heart, even though he had no idea how to do this… 


	3. Eye of The Storm (Chapter 3)

Eye of the Storm  
  
Chapter III  
  
Phoebe was finally up and about, thankfully. That made for a nice change from the painful last few days.  
  
Her sisters were still watching her anxiously, and it told her how scared they must have been.  
  
"I'm ok, I promise," she reassured them.  
  
Prue came to sit by her.  
  
"Are you certain? You had us worried sick for a while there."  
  
Phoebe smiled sweetly:  
  
"I promise that I won't do it again…"  
  
Prue could not help being amused:  
  
"That's my girl," she said with a bright smile.  
  
Phoebe had been so weak even after the fever had broken that it was a pleasure to see her smile. At last, Prue felt that her sister was well on her way to recovery.  
  
There were still a few obscure points for Phoebe however, as most of the last week was a blur.  
  
"How long have we been here? I can only remember bits and pieces, and it's hard to know what was real and what wasn't…"  
  
Piper and Prue got the distinct feeling that she was asking about more than the length of time, but they were not too sure what she meant.  
  
"You've been sick for over a week, ever since we've been rescued…"  
  
Phoebe noticed the peculiar tone of voice that Prue adopted and looked curiously at her. "Is there something wrong?"  
  
Prue seemed only then to realize that she had let out more than she had meant.  
  
"No, of course not, they saved us and we're very grateful."  
  
However, Phoebe still believed that something was amiss:  
  
"Are we getting to port any time soon?" Piper entered the conversation then:  
  
"Well that is the thing, see…We are not going back. The Captain has decided that he would bring us along on the trip to Santo Domingo…"  
  
Phoebe felt a twinge at the mention of the captain, but did not tell them about it just yet. Instead, she questioned: "Santo Domingo? But that is nowhere near where we are supposed to go…"  
  
"We know that, Phoebe. The first officer assured us that once we are in Santo Domingo, it should not be a problem to find transportation to America…"  
  
Phoebe contemplated the news with some apprehension but her immediate concern was still what she remembered, and the question that was burning her lips came out then: "Huh…What ship is this?" Prue pinched her lips before answering:  
  
"Well, you remember that merchant ship that we saw in England? The one where two sailors were fighting… and you…"  
  
"Oh! So I was not dreaming… What a strange coincidence."  
  
"Isn't it," Prue answered with a hint of disdain.  
  
Phoebe remembered very well what this ship was transporting, and she felt like her sisters about it, maybe even worse. However, she still could not get the Captain out of her mind, even in her weakened state, or possibly even less because of it. The last clear memory that she had of the last few days was of him in the quarters below deck. Now she knew that it had been a true memory, and she wondered how she would react at seeing him again…  
  
A discreet knock on the cabin door got their attention.  
  
Piper went to it and seeing the first officer, she could not repress a joyous smile.  
  
"Yes?" He seemed embarrassed at the moment, and she guessed that he probably was coming with the same request as he had for the last few days.  
  
"Huh, well…The Captain sent me to ask you…"  
  
Piper did not let him finish: "Again?" She sighed heavily, the smile vanishing from her lips. "Our sister is still very weak sir. Besides, I thought that we had made it abundantly clear that we would let him know when the time was right."  
  
Leo felt trapped: "I'm sorry, I know what you said, but Captain Turner is not known for his patience…" Prue came toward them:  
  
"What is the hurry anyway? You have already told us that the voyage would last at least two months."  
  
"Well, I am not exactly sure, but I would imagine that he wants to properly greet you on his ship…"  
  
Even as he was saying it, Leo could not help wondering himself.  
  
Prue answered irritably: "He might want to start by apologizing for the way he treated us initially." Leo did not know what to answer to that, as he did not believe it to be very likely to happen. Instead, he replied:  
  
"So I'm guessing that it's a no?"  
  
"I'm afraid so," Piper answered for Prue. She knew that her sister was getting very upset with those requests, and did not want Leo to pay the price for her anger.  
  
Leo was about to turn back and return to the bridge, albeit not very enthusiastically, when another idea came to him. He did not feel like going back to the Captain with bad news just yet…  
  
"Miss?" He asked, looking directly at Piper. "Yes?" This one answered expectantly.  
  
"Huh, I was wondering if you would like to…"  
  
"Yes," she responded eagerly, slightly amused by his embarrassment.  
  
"Well, I have some free time right now, and thought that maybe you'd like to take a walk? With me, I mean…" He had blurted out the last part and she had trouble repressing an amused chuckle.  
  
Piper was very tempted, but the clothing that they were forced to wear gave her pause. Walking around in men's clothing did not sit well with her.  
  
"Sir, in any other circumstance…"  
  
The disappointment in his expression was so evident that she felt guilty for her pride. "Oh well, I think that I would love to, after all…"  
  
She felt her sister' stare but ignored it, as she could see Leo's face brightening visibly. He offered his arm and she took it graciously, waving slightly to her sister and following him out quickly before Prue could say anything.  
  
Prue stared a moment longer at the door, now closed behind her sister. She could not help worrying about this development, and promised herself to have a talk with her sibling as soon as possible.  
  
Phoebe got her attention then. "Who was that," she asked in a tone that told Prue she meant more than polite curiosity.  
  
"Oh, it was the first officer. He's been here a few times already."  
  
"Was that the same man that caught Piper's fancy?"  
  
Prue came back toward her before answering with a hint of irritation:  
  
"Yeah, the same one."  
  
"I gather that you're not happy about it?"  
  
"Well, we just know so little about these people… And what we know…"  
  
"True," Phoebe answered, but with a little hesitation that her sister did not fail to notice. "What?"  
  
Phoebe caught herself:  
  
"Oh nothing, I think the same as you of course…" Prue replied dubiously:  
  
"Hum." Phoebe looked back at her:  
  
"No really, I do… So, did he just want to see Piper or was there any other reason for his visit." Prue was now convinced that her sister was not really asking about Piper's little crush.  
  
"Well no. Actually, he came at the request of his Captain."  
  
Phoebe could not help a little intake of breath then.  
  
Still, she tried to sound casual when she questioned:  
  
"What does he want?"  
  
Prue was not fooled but figured that her sister was not in shape for a discussion:  
  
"He has sent many times to request a visit with us…"  
  
"Oh!"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
"And what did you tell him?" Phoebe questioned as casually as she could.  
  
"Well, I wanted to tell him that we had no interest in meeting his captain again…"  
  
Then she shrugged at her sister's dismayed expression:  
  
"But of course, I did not. We simply told him that now was not a good time. However, the man is very insistent."  
  
Phoebe knew that she should have been displeased with this, but she could not help being flattered. There was no doubt in her mind that he wanted to see her. She remembered vividly the way he had looked at her the last time. Moreover, in spite of her resentment for his occupation, she was still very much attracted to him. Not willing to let her sister know how she felt however, she pursued:  
  
"Well, maybe he just wants to be polite?"  
  
"If that's true, he's going at it in all the wrong ways…"  
  
Phoebe replied distractedly:  
  
"I suppose…"  
  
Prue gave her a meaningful side look. However, she stopped herself from criticizing her sister, as she remembered her own interest in a certain ex- prisoner.  
  
She had not seen Paul since he had thanked her a few days earlier, and could not help worrying about him. Right now, if she had not felt obligated to stay by her sister's side, she knew that she probably would have gone to look for him on her own.  
  
Captain Turner was pacing impatiently. He was increasingly irritated by the repeated negative responses he had received to his requests.  
  
The medic had assured Mr. Wyatt that Phoebe was doing much better and he wondered if they were stalling on purpose.  
  
That is when he spotted his first officer on the deck with one of her sisters.  
  
Leo had already given her the tour of the upper decks and she was now expressing curiosity about the cargo hold. Somehow, he knew that it was not to his advantage to agree with this.  
  
"No, really Miss Halliwell, the lower decks are not for ladies. This is of course why we offered you the captain's cabin…"  
  
Piper frowned slightly and it made him feel uncomfortable.  
  
"That was not obvious on our first day…We were left with the impression that the subject had been debated before we were offered this…"  
  
"I assure you that we only have your wellbeing in mind…"  
  
Piper did not see it this way.  
  
"If you did, this ship would have turned around and Phoebe's life would not have been so much at risk."  
  
Leo then felt the need to defend his captain's decision, even if at first he had disagreed. "As much as we'd have wanted to accommodate you, Miss, I don't think that turning back would've been of any use. We found the first debris when almost a whole day at sea already, and did not find you until two days later, well out of the way. No matter what, if you sister had not recovered on her own, no one else could have saved her. Besides, there were other considerations, and lives at stake, here…"  
  
Piper was not going to be swayed so easily:  
  
"You mean what you are carrying in your cargo hold…"  
  
Right then, he knew that she was very much aware of the nature of the cargo.  
  
"How could you sail on such a ship?" She asked almost angrily.  
  
Leo did not like the turn this conversation was taking, but he never got a chance to defend himself, at least not that afternoon.  
  
He was about to try, when he noticed that she was looking intently behind him. From the almost fearful look on her face, he guessed that he had prolonged his absence from the bridge a little too long.  
  
Turning quickly toward the newcomer, he saw that his assumption was correct, as the Captain was coming fast toward them and looked more furious than he had seen him yet. And it was not saying nothing, considering the roller coaster that had been his assignment on this ship until now.  
  
For all the assurances that the other sailors gave Leo about the coldness of their Captain, he could not believe it to be true. The man had just been increasingly irrational in the last few days, and it was definitely related with the repeated denials of his request. Cole only stopped a few feet short of Leo, and did not lose time in amenities, totally ignoring Piper:  
  
"What the hell are you doing here? Do you think that we are on a cruise ship? I gave you specific instructions and expected an answer…"  
  
Piper opened wide eyes at the harsh speech. She had not thought that Leo was facing that kind of wrath for them. She tried to intervene then. "Mister?"  
  
She almost regretted it, as the Captain turned furiously toward her. He obviously fought to control himself however, and she took advantage.  
  
"You should not blame Mr. Wyatt. I insisted for him to show me around the ship."  
  
Although it didn't seem to have much of an effect on him, the tone of his voice still went down a notch when he turned back to Leo.  
  
"You should have reported to me immediately, and then helped the Lady, Mr. Wyatt. I warned you about your disregard for authority…"  
  
Leo finally found his voice:  
  
"I'm sorry, sir. I promise that it won't happen again…"  
  
The Captain looked down on him, and then simply said:  
  
"Somehow, I doubt that."  
  
Then he turned back toward Piper, barely calmer:  
  
"I see that you finally are coming out. So am I to understand that you will finally agree to my request?"  
  
Piper hesitated, made very uncomfortable by his insistence.  
  
"Our sister is still not well…"  
  
This time, she took a step back when his expression became irate once more:  
  
"Rubbish, I know for a fact from the medic that your sister is doing very well. I have had enough of this stalling. I will see her… Huh, all of you in your cabin tonight. Be ready."  
  
Not waiting for an answer, he turned around, walking quickly toward the bridge, and leaving Piper and Leo wondering. Piper had not failed to notice his momentary lapse, and no doubts, he had gone so abruptly for this reason alone.  
  
She turned questioningly toward Leo, but this one had also changed attitude. This confused her even more. "What is it?"  
  
"I would appreciate that you'd not intervene on my behalf in the future…"  
  
Piper was flabbergasted. For once, she had stood up for herself and someone for whom she felt a great affection. Yet, instead of thanks, he was giving her reproaches.  
  
Granted, she thought, it did not work very well, and now she would have to face her sister's wrath. Prue was certain to be very miffed by this turn of events. However, Leo's attitude displeased her greatly:  
  
"How dare you? I was trying to help…"  
  
Leo couldn't help feeling diminished by this. He had wanted to impress her and instead found himself in her debt somehow…  
  
"I can very much defend myself…"  
  
Piper frowned before answering impatiently:  
  
"Well, don't worry, it won't happen again."  
  
Without waiting, she simply turned her back to him and walked quickly toward their cabin, leaving Leo slightly confused and disappointed.  
  
As he was returning to the bridge, he thought about the whole thing and finally decided that since he was in such hot waters with his captain already, he might as well try to convince him to wait… "Maybe," he thought again, looking back to where Piper had left, "it will make up for whatever I did wrong?"  
  
The Captain was not on the bridge, and Leo guessed that he must have retired to his improvised quarters. He still wondered about his attitude, but at the moment, he was more worried about his reaction to him.  
  
He knocked on the door a few times and waited a long moment but didn't get any answer.  
  
Turning toward the Helmsman, he gave him a questioning glance, but this one just shrugged, indicating silently that he too believed the captain to be in his cabin…  
  
Leo took a deep breath then and knocked louder. This time, he got a grumpy answer and entered cautiously. He had no idea what to expect, as Cole's moods had been changing non-stop without warning. Indeed, when he found him, he saw that Captain Turner was calmer, even subdued to his impression.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"What do you want?" Leo closed the door behind himself and blurted:  
  
"May I speak freely?"  
  
Cole gave him a dubious stare. "Haven't you been doing that already?"  
  
Leo hesitated to continue, but he finally got it out:  
  
"Sir, I think that you are insisting too much, too soon…"  
  
The Captain frowned, but waited for the rest.  
  
"Our passengers have been through a terrible ordeal, and only now are they starting to get better. Maybe you should be more patient," he trailed…  
  
He expected an explosion at this point and braced himself. Instead, the Captain looked away, seemingly thinking about it. Then he turned back abruptly:  
  
"You know Mr. Wyatt; your impertinence is boundless… I'm afraid that you maritime career might be short lived…"  
  
Leo tried to say something, but Cole lifted his hand firmly to stop him.  
  
"However, I must admit that you might have a point…I have no experience in these matters, and I am probably going at it the wrong way…"  
  
Leo was now flabbergasted. The man was giving him reproaches, and then was obviously asking for his advice.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Cole turned to face him, and Leo could see that he was uncertain.  
  
His next question surprised him even more:  
  
"What do you think I should do?"  
  
Leo could see that this time the man was very sincerely puzzled as to the course of action. "Sir, I think that you should heed my advice about patience… And also, maybe…" Cole listened intently.  
  
Piper came in the cabin blazing, still flushed from her disagreement with Leo. "Before you jump on my back," she said a little too loud, "know that it's not my fault. These men are insufferable."  
  
Prue and Phoebe turned to her in surprise. Their sister was not in the habit of getting this excited over anything…  
  
Phoebe was the first to question her, beating Prue by a hair:  
  
"What are you talking about? What did they do to you?" She added with a hint of worry. Piper seemed to snap out of it somewhat.  
  
"I'm sorry… no they didn't do anything to me. It's just that I had never realized how men could be…" Prue finally placed a word:  
  
"Be…?" "Just stubborn!"  
  
"Ok now," Prue asked, "what is the matter?"  
  
Piper fidgeted a little before continuing:  
  
"Well, you're going to be mad, but you know that captain? He has invited himself, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it…"  
  
She grimaced, ready for the expected reaction from her sister.  
  
It did not take long to come.  
  
"I thought that we were agreed not to let this arrogant man in here…"  
  
Piper looked sheepishly toward her older sister:  
  
"I would have liked to see you there. If you haven't noticed, he isn't one who will take no for an answer easily…"  
  
Prue was about to protest further when another knock on the door caught their attention.  
  
She jumped and went to it, ready to pounce on whoever was coming this time. Opening the door abruptly, she began before looking at the newcomer:  
  
"The nerve of you to come here without our consent…!"  
  
Paul just looked at her in total bewilderment. "I'm sorry, is it a bad time?"  
  
Prue babbled in embarrassment, as her sisters looked at her with amused smiles:  
  
"No of course not, come in…"  
  
Paul still hesitated. "Are you certain? I had the distinct feeling that you did not want any visitors?" Prue tried to smile.  
  
"Don't worry, it's an unpleasant story, but it has nothing to do with you."  
  
She moved away to let him in, and he smiled almost shyly.  
  
"So," he asked then, "is everything alright here?"  
  
Prue showed him to a wooden chair while talking:  
  
"Much better now," she answered, indicating Phoebe.  
  
"We had a little scare but it's all over."  
  
"Glad to hear it."  
  
An uneasy silence fell between them, as Phoebe and Piper tried to give some room to their sister. They knew very well that she had been hoping to see that man again. Moreover, if they had some reservations about him, he still had helped them before.  
  
Prue finally said: "We…I… I was wondering how you were? Are they treating you well? I mean, they don't know, do they?"  
  
Paul smiled anew before replying:  
  
"Thanks to you, they have no idea. And yes, I have been treated well under the circumstances…" "Circumstances?"  
  
"Well, it's not a passenger ship, as you know. I've had to share quarters with some unsavory men, but they're behaving quite well on this ship. The captain seems to have a good hold on the discipline around here."  
  
The grimace that came to Prue's face told him that he had hit a nerve.  
  
"Would the long story have to do with him?"  
  
"Huh… Well, yes as a matter of fact, it does."  
  
Another knock on the door was heard and Piper went for it in a much calmer fashion than her sister had earlier…  
  
All the while, Prue was turning her back to the door and venting her frustrations to Paul.  
  
"The Captain may be big on discipline but he is not very big on social skills."  
  
It was Paul's expression that told her something was amiss. She turned toward the newcomer and gasped. Cole was standing very straight at the door, with a severe frown wrinkling his forehead.  
  
"Well, Miss. I see that I might have made an even worse impression than I had feared."  
  
He was already embarrassed that he had come all this way fully intending to apologize, as Leo had offered. However, seeing Paul there, he also got angry that he had been singled out as an undesirable visitor.  
  
All his good resolutions flew away as he continued:  
  
"I decided that the supper would take place three days hence. Be ready…"  
  
He had wanted so much to just get a glimpse of her, and yet he could not bring himself to stay in this place one more second.  
  
Phoebe, on the other hand could not resist coming forth. Prue looked at her, as she moved quickly toward the door. The Captain had already turned his back on them, not waiting for an answer.  
  
"Captain?" Phoebe called a little too eagerly.  
  
He stopped short, but not turning back. He knew who it was right away, and his heart raced slightly. "I am sorry about what my sister said, you have to forgive her. Our present situation is very difficult."  
  
She hesitated, as he kept his back to her. "Captain?"  
  
He finally looked back, and when she saw what she had not until now, her heart melted. There was a hint of vulnerability and hurt in his eyes that she had not expected. In spite of what she knew of him, she found herself hoping that maybe, there was more to him than what she had seen and heard.  
  
He didn't know what to do. He had wanted so much to see her again, but now, he was almost afraid of the way he felt. He wanted to go to her, take her in his arms and never let her go. Yet, he was worried that this would just make her run away. His only experiences with women had not prepared him for this need he had of her. It was not just the physical need, as it had always been for him. He wanted her to love him back.  
  
"Will you forgive us?" She was questioning.  
  
He could hear the tremor in his own voice when he answered.  
  
"Do not worry yourself. I would not want to cause you more hurt…"  
  
She smiled then, and he could not see anything but her.  
  
"I apologize for my insistence," he continued hesitantly, "if you do not wish for this supper to take place, I will not insist anymore."  
  
He could barely believe that he had said it. Apologizing was not in his nature. Let alone relinquish control over anything to another.  
  
He waited anxiously for her answer. However, she seemed to hesitate and he took it for another refusal. "If that is what you want, I won't bother you again." He said this while turning abruptly away.  
  
Seeing this, she called to him:  
  
"I would love for you to come have this supper with us."  
  
Once again, he stopped, but this time he just turned and smiled before leaving without another word.  
  
Only then did Phoebe realize how cold it was outside, as she had felt warmth inside before. She still stood there for another minute, wondering about the way she felt.  
  
Prue called to her:  
  
"Phoebe, you will make yourself sick again, what are you doing there?"  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath and reentered the cabin.  
  
"I just told him that we would be pleased to have him visit…"  
  
"You what? Phoebe, are you sure that you don't have a fever still?"  
  
As a matter of fact, she thought that her sister looked flushed.  
  
Phoebe would not look at her when she answered:  
  
"Of course I don't. I just thought that we should be polite to our host, that's all."  
  
"Hum!"  
  
"I think that I'm still very tired and need some rest," Phoebe added, moving quickly toward the recess she used as a bedroom without waiting for a reply.  
  
Prue almost went to her, but a look from Piper told her to wait.  
  
Instead, she turned back her attention to Paul, who had observed all this excitation with some interest. "What was that all about?"  
  
"Who knows…?" Prue answered irritably.  
  
Then she seemed to think of something pleasant, because she smiled again.  
  
"I believe that it might be appropriate for me to invite you to this supper as well. It could just make this tolerable." Paul smiled back, and simply nodded in agreement.  
  
Leo was waiting anxiously; wondering if he should expect thanks or lashes…  
  
He was soon reassured when he saw the unaccustomed relaxed expression on his captain's face. Unwilling to test his mood however, he did not ask what happened. He figured that he would know soon enough…  
  
If he had expected that Cole would soften in any way, he was very disappointed. As he had apparently found a new balance for the moment, the captain took back the reins of his ship with zeal.  
  
In spite of Paul's assumptions about the discipline on board, the fact was that the men had relaxed considerably since the girls had arrived. The Captain being mostly absent during that time, had given them the impression that they could loosen up. Captain Turner however, saw to it that things went back to what he considered normal. Complaints started to arise among the men, but a few severe punishments tended to calm them down, at least for the time being.  
  
Three days later, they had the supper as planned, and although Cole still slightly resented Paul's presence there, as a reminder that he was barely tolerated by his hostesses, the meal was pleasant enough. His only problem was that not having much experience on the social front, as Prue had so rudely reminded him, he had not much to say and looked stiff to the others around the table. Phoebe tried a few times to get him into the conversation, for which he was grateful, but all he could do was answer by monosyllables. He had barely looked at her even then, for every time he did, he was convinced that everyone could see how he felt.  
  
Leo had also come along for this, but he had received only the cold shoulder from Piper, telling him that he had a lot more to do to be forgiven whatever offense he had committed toward her. The girls had put on the only dresses that they now had left. And although they were worse for wear, the change in clothes still made them feel better.  
  
They were already coming into warmer waters and it allowed them to go out and simply enjoy the night air afterward. At that point, Cole felt so apart from the company that he almost left, but Phoebe, who was doing much better by then, took the initiative once more. She startled him by putting her hand on his arm decidedly.  
  
She seemed slightly amused at his nonplussed expression.  
  
"You were not going to leave so soon. were you?" She asked sweetly.  
  
"I do want you to give me a tour of this ship, now that I am up to it…"  
  
He just smiled and they followed the others out.  
  
They had only been out for about ten minutes, when clamors coming from below deck alerted them. Cole and Leo immediately went down there and Phoebe couldn't help her curiosity, as she followed them before anyone could stop her.  
  
The relaxed attitude that the men had adopted caused some problem with the slaves that no one anticipated. A few of them had gotten sick and didn't get any help. The meals had been coming irregularly, and even though what they were given was not exactly gourmet food, they were hungry. In spite of the Captain's efforts, there were still unresolved issues there and the slaves had decided to protest that very night.  
  
Cole and Leo saw immediately what the situation was, as a few of the men were getting beat up by the strongest slaves. They had obviously turned their frustration toward the handlers. They came in at the same time as other sailors carrying guns. The men were already shouldering these, ready to fire, when Cole stopped them.  
  
Instead, he got his own pistol out and shot once over the crowd.  
  
This had the anticipated effect as many of the slaves had looked up in fear.  
  
At gunpoint, the slaves backed away from the men. However, one of sailors had not survived the attack. Cole coldly watched, as he was carried off. Then, turning to the slaves, he ordered 50 lashes for two of them and the rations cut for the next two days. He had not even flinched. At least, not until he turned away and found himself face to face with an appalled Phoebe… 


	4. Eye of The Storm (Chapter 4)

Eye of the Storm  
  
1 Chapter IV  
  
  
  
It had been a whole month now, and he still barely understood what had happened. To him, what he had done was justified. Even though, it had caused one of the slaves to die eventually, in the whole, it had kept peace among the cargo afterward.  
  
Yet, she would not talk to him anymore. They had crossed path a few times, and she had made great efforts to avoid even looking at him, leaving his feelings hurt like they had never been in his entire life. That night, he had seen the look in her eyes and at first, he was puzzled…  
  
'Cole could see that she was displeased and, in a way, he understood that for a lady, such a display of violence must have been awful. He moved toward her, intent on getting her out of this unsavory place, but she took a step back from him, the anger now obvious on her face. He frowned at this and moved faster, to stop her from running away. "Miss Halliwell?"  
  
"Stay away from me," she uttered between clenched teeth. Up close, he thought that beside the anger, he could also see the hurt in her expression.  
  
"I know how upsetting this must have been, but you shouldn't have come here…"  
  
"Why," Phoebe questioned angrily. "So that I would not know how cruel and monstrous you can be!" The frown deepened on his forehead, as he stared down at her. He kept silent for a long moment, trying to stop the harsh words that had come to his mind.  
  
When Cole thought that he could reply without showing his anger, he started:  
  
"Miss, I do not think that you understand what just happened. One of my men died in there. These savages needed to be punished for it."  
  
Phoebe stood up very straight at this, the anger threatening to overcome her.  
  
Meanwhile, sailors on the main deck had stopped Prue, Piper and Paul from going down themselves. "No Miss," one of them was still arguing with Prue, "it's not safe, and I can't let you go down there."  
  
Prue was becoming increasingly impatient and scared:  
  
"My sister might be in danger. I have to get to her."  
  
The sailor just stood fast in front of her, even when they heard the shot and Prue tried to go by him.  
  
Paul came to her, pulling her gently away:  
  
"I know how worried you are, Miss Halliwell. However, the young man here is right. There is no point in exposing yourself too. I'm sure that your sister will stay out of the way. Besides, listen…It's already calming down."  
  
Prue tried very hard to believe this, and she gave her sister a little more time to come back. However, when she didn't after a few minutes, Prue pushed the sailor rudely out of the way when he didn't expect it, and ran down the stairwell, soon followed by Paul, Piper and the said sailor.  
  
Phoebe was replying, barely containing herself:  
  
"How could you say that? You are treating them like animals! Putting them in cages! What do you expect them to do but react violently?"  
  
Cole again tried to answer reasonably:  
  
"As a woman and a person who hasn't dealt much with them, I can understand your misgivings. However, you have to know that we're doing them a favor by giving them a purpose in life. Other than just exist without any…"  
  
"A purpose…?" She almost screamed. "You call slavery a step up for them?"  
  
This did it, as until now, he had kept his temper in check, but no longer…  
  
"You and all the people like you are such hypocrites. For almost four hundred years, our country and most other civilized worlds have been practicing this commerce. You, yourself have certainly benefited from the prosperity it has given. And now, all of a sudden, people are screaming that it's an obscenity? Rubbish, I tell you."  
  
Only then did he see a hint of fear in her eyes. This had him regretting his outburst, but he never had a chance to apologize, as her sisters and the others were coming toward them. Prue took a hold of Phoebe's arm and pulled her away rudely, her anxiety making her too nervous to be considerate.  
  
"My god, girl, what were you thinking," she asked, ignoring Cole altogether.  
  
Phoebe stared at him for a moment longer, then she said in a flat tone of voice, worst than if she had screamed: "I have no idea."  
  
She turned away then, soon followed by Paul and her sisters, and it was the last time that she had looked at him since.  
  
At first, he had simply been angry with her. Angry at her lack of understanding and her judgmental attitude… Then, after a couple weeks of this silent treatment, he had become despondent, since it was obvious that she was not going to change her mind, as he had hoped. Just now, he could see that man, Paul Mckail, he believed, his back against the rail. His face was lighting up as he observed him, and he soon saw what had caused this. Phoebe's sister was walking toward him with a bright smile.  
  
Cole could not help the twinge of envy at seeing them. For the first time in his life, he longed for a relationship, but the one he wanted obviously despised him.  
  
His gaze moved toward the cabin where he knew she was…  
  
Phoebe observed her sister and Paul wistfully. She did not want to feel like this but could not help it. For the umpteenth time, she wondered how she could have such strong feelings for a man like him, and she sighed heavily.  
  
Piper noticed her stare, and with a little frown, she came to her.  
  
She started softly: "Phoebe?"  
  
Her sister turned toward her but apparently barely noticed her, as she passed her on her way to one of the seats.  
  
She was again staring distractedly, and Piper decided that now was a good time to have the talk. "Phoebe, you have to get a grip. It's obvious that you won't get over that man so easily." Piper's forthcoming comment startled Phoebe.  
  
She had never even mentioned that she knew of her feelings before.  
  
"Whom are you talking about," she answered. Piper came to sit by her with a little smile. "Oh come on Phoebe, I have eyes. I saw the way you looked at the Captain. We all did. Whatever it is that's keeping you away from him, I think that it's not worth it."  
  
Phoebe looked at her in surprise then:  
  
"Are you suggesting that I should forget what I saw and heard? Coming from you, that is shocking…" Piper sighed as well.  
  
"Well, you know, I'm learning myself that pushing someone away because of an opinion might not be the answer." Phoebe suddenly stood up, pacing nervously:  
  
"There is no comparison with what happened between you and Mr. Wyatt. Captain Turner is a cold and monstrous man. I cannot believe that I even thought for a moment that he could be otherwise…"  
  
Piper bit her lip, unsure of what else she could say to help. Then:  
  
"Do you really know him that well Phoebe? He might not be as bad as you think. After all, maybe he simply acts like this because that's expected of him…"  
  
Phoebe stopped pacing for an instant, looking curiously toward her sister.  
  
"I would've thought that you would be of the same mind as me on this…"  
  
"But what if you're wrong? And besides, how much longer are you going to try and deny your feelings?"  
  
Phoebe understood that her sister only wanted her to be happy. However, she could not help the irritation from mounting in her.  
  
"You know, maybe you should follow your own advice rather than try making me change my mind…" Piper forgave Phoebe her harshness only because she knew where it came from. "Maybe you're right… maybe I should forgive and forget."  
  
Phoebe's voice softened considerably:  
  
"You like him don't you?"  
  
"I think so. No… I know so!"  
  
"Well, at least he seems like a good man…"  
  
Piper turned toward the door, looking as if she was expecting him to barge in.  
  
"Come on Piper, I think that it's you who has to do something. For my part, I'm afraid that I can never be with a man who has no compassion."  
  
Piper hesitated some more, sorry to see her sister so sad. Still, now that she had finally made up her mind, she was ready to act upon it. It had been long enough, too long…  
  
Phoebe saw her sister's dilemma. "Go, don't worry about me, I'll be just fine."  
  
Piper got up and squeezed her sister's hand gratefully before going out.  
  
By now, and thanks to the first officer, they knew, each of them had been able to sow some dresses for themselves. Apparently, there was a reserve of fabric on board, mostly meant for the men, but with a little work, the girl had managed to make it look at least feminine, if not fashionable. They were still grateful for this, as none of them were very comfortable in those men's clothes.  
  
The only problem was that woman' skirts were not very good against the elements, as Piper felt the moment that she went out. In spite of the warmer climate, the windy afternoon still gave her a little chill, but she ignored it. She walked resolutely toward the bridge, stopping only a few feet from the stairwell, where she hesitated again. It was one thing to want to talk to Leo; it was a whole another thing to barge in on the bridge.  
  
Suddenly, she was feeling a little stupid and embarrassed, but Leo saved the situation by coming out of the bridge at this point. He looked surprised to see Piper and she smiled timidly toward him. Unsure, he still went to her, stopping a few feet short. "Hello," she said, trying to sound natural.  
  
"Huh, hello. How are you today?"  
  
Leo felt ridiculous. Although, he had been taking care of their needs for the last month, Piper and he had not exchanged a single word since that day.  
  
"I'm well, thank you…" An awkward silence fell between them, as they were casting each other furtive looks.  
  
Then they both spoke at the same time. "I'm sorry…"  
  
This felt so weird that they both started laughing at this…  
  
They were so into each other that Piper never noticed Prue and Paul having left the upper deck, or Phoebe sneaking out of the cabin and toward the lower deck with a package. However, the Captain did…  
  
Prue was happy to see Paul, as she had been on the many occasions that they had spent time together in the last month. Nevertheless, something still bothered her. She had gotten over him being a pirate, as he was such a gentleman, and because of what she now knew of him. However, it was the gentleman part that bothered her somewhat. Deep down, Prue was a passionate woman, with intense desires. His quasi aloofness made her uncomfortable, as she wondered if he felt anything for her beside friendship. At first, she had been certain of it. Yet, he had kept his distance, never crossing the line, and now she wanted him to, very much so.  
  
"Hello there," he greeted her with a smile.  
  
She smiled back and came to lean on the rail beside him.  
  
She breathed deeply in the sea air. They had gotten use to being at sea much faster than they had expected, considering their first experience. And although, she still felt some queasiness on occasion, it was mostly a pleasant trip, surprisingly enough. She knew that having him around might have had a lot to do with it however.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Prue smiled sweetly and turned to him.  
  
"What makes you think that I'm having such worthy thoughts," she asked softly.  
  
"I'm interested in whatever interests you…"  
  
She wondered, as she observed him, if that was some sort of move on his part.  
  
"What?" He asked, a little puzzled by her silence.  
  
"Nothing really…"  
  
"It seemed like something."  
  
"It will seem too forward if I tell…"  
  
"Let me be the judge of that…"  
  
He was smiling widely now and she was certain that he knew exactly what she was thinking. The words did not come however, as she felt pressure.  
  
Instead, she simply acted upon her impulse and leaned suddenly toward him, depositing a light kiss on his lips. For a moment, she thought that he was going to protest, as he looked curiously toward her.  
  
Then, he simply took her hand and indicated that he wanted her to follow him. She hesitated only a second before allowing him to lead her away.  
  
Cole felt increasingly upset at this point, as he had witnessed not only this little display of affection, but now he was watching his first officer flirting with the other sister. He almost missed Phoebe going below deck, but when he noticed her, not only did it give him a jolt, but he also worried about what she might be doing there…  
  
He almost ran out toward her, but then remembered his first officer, still standing out there.  
  
For some reason that he could not even identify himself, he did not want the young man to know where he was off to… And even less her sister.  
  
He finally went out when he figured out that all he had to do was to be himself…  
  
"Mr. Wyatt," he asked, with his usual cutting voice. The young man almost jumped, as he had forgotten about anything else but Piper. This one gave a severe look toward the Captain, and almost spoke up again, but she thought better of it. "No need to reopen this discussion…" she told herself.  
  
"Sir?" Leo asked.  
  
"What are you doing there? This kind of activity…" his voice changed to an almost disdainful tone at this, "should be kept for your free time."  
  
Leo looked back nervously toward Piper but this one just nodded, and he replied:  
  
"Of course, sir. Did you need me for anything?"  
  
"Simply for you to perform your duties, Mr. Wyatt… That would do well enough."  
  
Without wait, Leo took leave of Piper, even if he was a little worried about parting from her like this, but her smile told him that he would have other occasions.  
  
In spite of the Captain's reproaches, he felt lighthearted as he was going back to the bridge.  
  
Piper hesitated, almost lifting a finger toward the Captain, as she was opening her mouth to say something, but once more she thought better of it and simply went back toward the cabin. Cole thought that they would never leave.  
  
He believed that he would never have a better pretext to talk to Phoebe again. He needed to or he would go crazy, he knew…  
  
He looked for anyone who would be observing him, and when he was satisfied that none did, he moved toward the lower decks in turn.  
  
Paul directed Prue to a recess away from prying eyes, and as soon as they were in, he took her in his arms, crushing her lips with a passionate kiss to which she responded in kind. All doubts flew away about the way he felt then, but when he pulled away, she took a deep breath before looking directly at him.  
  
"I hope that I did not offend you," he asked, almost timidly.  
  
She uttered a muffled laugh then, amazed that he could still doubt after this kiss.  
  
"I was wondering myself why you did not try before…"  
  
He seemed slightly uncomfortable at this.  
  
"I did not think that you could be really interested in a man like me. I am a wanted man…"  
  
Prue came closer. "I only know that you are a good man." Moreover, she truly meant it, as she remembered some of what he had told her about his dealings as a pirate. What had struck her the most were his ideas about slavery, which reached her own fully. This had amazed her more than anything else. Paul had told her about his encounters with slave ships, and of the horrible conditions found on some of them: slaves, who were dying by the dozens of plagues and malnutrition. When telling her of this, he had mentioned the fact that the ship they were sailing on did not fall into this category at the very least, however unpleasant its purpose was. He still thought that no matter how well treated, men should not be enslaved. In fact, he had told her that when they had made their escape toward Africa, they had also brought along some of them. From that moment on, she had seen him not as a criminal, but almost as a hero. Yet, there was no denying that the authorities might see it differently.  
  
"Still a wanted one, Prue," he was telling her. "When we get to Santo Domingo, I will have to run again…" She breathed deeply, this time with a hint of fear.  
  
"I can't think of this, not now…" Paul smiled weakly:  
  
"I have to… How can I commit to any relationship when I have nothing but a life on the run to offer?"  
  
"Why this kiss then? Why do this now?" She asked with barely disguised anger, as she took a step back. "I'm sorry, I wanted to do this from the moment I saw you, that first day on the frigate…"  
  
Prue uttered a derisive laugh:  
  
"When you were in chains?"  
  
"Well, I guess it was a good thing or you might have run away that day…" Her anger deflated almost immediately, replaced by a sorrow deeper than she had thought possible. "I don't think so," she replied seriously. "I don't think that at all."  
  
She looked so sad that he only wanted to take her in his arms and forget all about what was against them. He took a step forward, but she stepped away.  
  
"I hope that I didn't destroy our friendship?" He asked anxiously.  
  
Prue bit her lips, and turned away. "I need to think about this."  
  
"Of course, take all the time you need," he replied, but without conviction.  
  
She went away without looking back, and his expression turned somber, as he simply stayed behind.  
  
Piper was almost to the cabin when she decided against facing Phoebe just yet. Her heart was bursting with joy right then, and she did not want her sister to feel left out at seeing her like this. Instead, she turned around and went for a walk, never noticing her sister's absence…  
  
Cole was looking around the lower decks, still wondering what Phoebe could have been doing there. He had already gone to the men's quarters, almost fearing that she had found someone among them. One who would have caught her fancy, as it seemingly had happened to both of her sisters. This thought alone angered him. In the back of his mind, he knew that he was being irrational, and that his reactions were out of character, but he could not help it. When he did not find her there however, he began to think that she might have gone back while he was debating his course of action on the bridge. He had almost given up and was only checking on the cargo hold while he was there, when he heard the voice that was engraved in his mind. He looked in puzzlement toward the slaves' pen. Careful to stay out of sight, he moved slowly toward it.  
  
There, what he saw appalled him. Fear for her, as well as an obvious discomfort invaded him at first. In fact, at this point he would have strangled the handler who had let her in so carelessly… There she was, standing in the middle of a group of black women. These were sharing some food coming from a package at Phoebe's feet.  
  
He almost went toward them, determined to get her out of there, but then she smiled, and they smiled back. For the first time, he wondered about these people, which he had barely even thought about in all this time. To him, they were simply a work force, without true feelings or even a hint of civilization. Granted, he prided himself with the fact that on his ship, the slaves were treated well, unlike many other merchant ships. However, his reasoning behind it was much more mercantile than humanitarian.  
  
The slaves were worth more if they arrived healthy at destination. Somehow, this brought back to his memory the harsh reproach that she had made to him. Indeed, he might just have thought of them as not much more than animals. Watching her like this, he felt a twinge of guilt. The feeling was so strange that he tried to forget about it immediately. However, the sensation seemed only to grow to his utter dismay. He was so distracted by these disturbing thoughts that he almost was caught, as Phoebe turned toward his hiding place. He saw her just in time and threw himself around the corner, strangely unwilling to intrude.  
  
There, he simply waited, without quite knowing what he would say to her anymore. It had been so clear until then. He was going to tell her that they should forget about the argument that they had. That he so much wanted to know her better. Yet now, he knew that it would not be so easy to forget. In fact, he could not even forget it himself. A few minutes later, he saw her on her way out, and almost did not go to her. However, she seemed to hesitate, as if expecting something, and he could not resist approaching her.  
  
Phoebe sensed that someone was observing her and turned suddenly. She found herself facing the Captain and just then thought that her insides would turn upside down. She felt a mix of fear at being discovered, and of pleasure at simply seeing him there. This was so strange, that she stood paralyzed as he approached her slowly.  
  
She had those beautiful hazel eyes locked with his, and for a moment, he hesitated between getting angry with her for her carelessness and the pure delight that he felt at her not running away.  
  
Unfortunately for him, sweet words were not in his usual vocabulary, and it was much easier for him to show anger than love.  
  
"What were you doing there," he asked in a much harsher voice than he had intended. He was angry with himself now, certain that he would blow it again. However, he had been so scared for a moment that it did not help his being reasonable.  
  
Now, he could see the fear returning in her eyes and the hint of anger as well. He could not stand to have once more been responsible for this.  
  
"I'm sorry, please don't go away," he blurted out, surprising himself.  
  
She had been about to do just that, not only fearing him, but much more herself. And now even more, as his last words went through her and awoke all these emotions that she had kept bottled up inside.  
  
She was torn between the desire to simply go to him and forget all the reasons why this should not be, and the moral dilemma that he caused her. How could she feel like this, knowing that his ideas were diametrically opposed to hers? Yet, she felt the urge to appease the pain that she sensed in him, even more so because she felt the same inside herself. For a moment, he thought that she would come to him, she seemed ready to it, and then suddenly she turned around, taking away his hope so abruptly that anger swelled in him. He should have let her go, he should have restrained himself, and he knew that. Nevertheless, throughout the last month, an intense frustration and longing had built up inside him, and seeing her going away again was too much to bear.  
  
Without thinking anymore, he moved quickly toward her, grabbing her arm almost rudely and twisting her back toward him. She tried to protest, but only weakly, as he pulled her to him into an embrace that she had longed for from the moment she had laid eyes on him. There was no denying her intense desire as his lips covered hers hungrily. In spite of her misgivings, she responded with the same passion, as she stopped struggling against his strong arms, leaning into him without realizing it.  
  
There was no way to tell how far this might have gone was it not for the loud scream coming from the main deck. This acted like a wake up call for Phoebe, and she began struggling again, this time succeeding in pulling away from him. Flushed and angry as much with herself as with him, she slapped him hard, too irate to be afraid anymore. Then she turned around and ran away, as he watched her with a mix of confusion and shame.  
  
The second call from the watch shook him out of the trance that he was stuck in. Even as he started toward the upper decks, he still struggled to stop the tremors he felt throughout.  
  
Prue had been standing on the deck, looking out at sea and trying to make sense of her feelings, when the loud scream from the man up in the mast pulled her out of it. She looked up at first and noticing the man's stare, she turned back toward the sea, only now noticing a growing point on the horizon. It did not take long for her to recognize that another ship was coming toward them. She wondered with mixed feelings, if this was going to be the end of this part of their trip on the merchant ship, as this could have been a vessel headed toward their original destination. By now, many men were coming toward her, looking in the same direction. Some of them seemed anxious and this caused her to rethink her assumptions.  
  
Phoebe emerged on the deck and barely noticed the agitation, as she was heading back quickly toward the relative safety of the cabin. In all honesty, she feared more her own reactions than him. She still wanted him, even though she had run away from him. She wanted to put as much distance between them, believing that only then she could stop the urge that she felt.  
  
Piper, as well as Leo, and then Paul had now come to rejoin the group to watch the approaching ship. Prue noticed him stopping beside her, but what worried her even more was the strange look on his face. He was looking intently at the ship and just then, seemed to show signs of recognition.  
  
"Oh god! I think that this ship is in trouble," he said obviously referring to their own vessel.  
  
Captain Turner made him jump when he asked:  
  
"And how would you know that?" Paul hesitated at length, knowing that his next words might reveal too much about him. Yet, he had to warn them…  
  
"I know this vessel, and you should prepare for battle…"  
  
Cole looked coldly at him. "I reiterate, how do you know that?"  
  
"I know the ship and his captain. He is a ruthless pirate and well armed…"  
  
Cole looked intently at Paul, apparently weighing the worth of this warning. He seemed to decide that it was true as he turned toward his own men.  
  
"Prepare the canons, and bring up the sails fully. We will try to make a run for it."  
  
The men did not wait for more, as they knew that their ship was not likely to sustain an attack from a pirate ship without severe losses.  
  
After Leo and the men had gone to their respective stations, he turned back toward Paul with a severe expression.  
  
"I think that we'll have to discuss this later, Mr. Mckail…"  
  
He stared down at him a moment longer before going back toward the bridge.  
  
Paul watched him going and then said under his breath. "If we are still in one piece then."  
  
He regretted his comment immediately when he saw the frightened looks that Prue and Piper cast toward him. However, there was nothing to say that could reassure them. Instead, he motioned them to follow him.  
  
Prue called to him. "Where are we going?"  
  
Paul turned briefly toward her:  
  
"To the lower decks... I will lead you to my quarters, as this part of the ship might not be safe enough for you anymore…"  
  
"We have to get our sister first…"  
  
He looked back at sea for a moment, and then offered to get her himself, as he indicated the way down to the girls and told them to wait for him at the bottom of the stairwell.  
  
When he got to the cabin, he had to call twice for Phoebe to come to the door.  
  
"Haven't you noticed what is happening?" He asked, with a growing impatience.  
  
Phoebe had pain to concentrate on what he was saying, as she was still struggling with her own concerns. Yet, the obvious worry in his expression pushed her to consider this new problem more attentively. "No, I haven't. What is it?"  
  
Paul just took her arm and pulled her out as he said:  
  
"Not now, there will be time to explain. You must come with me and join your sisters below deck."  
  
She wanted to protest but he seemed so genuinely concerned for them that she followed him without asking more.  
  
They were already starting down the stairwell when they heard a loud explosion. Paul and Phoebe turned around just in time to see a projectile plunge at sea, maybe 100 feet from the ship… 


	5. Eye of the Storm (Chapter 5)

Eye of the Storm  
  
Chapter V  
  
The sound of another projectile coming toward them shook Phoebe out of the quasi paralysis the first hit had provoked. She almost tripped on her way down, while Paul stayed at the top of the stairs, obviously watching the unfolding events. There she found her anxious sisters, who greeted her with a mitigated relief.  
  
After the terrible storm that they had gone through, this was just too much. Paul finally came to them and urged them to follow him. He harbored a very tense expression that did nothing to reassure them. They were almost to his quarters, when the next cannonball was heard, but this time it found its target…  
  
Captain Turner was watching the other ship with a very serious expression. Nevertheless, he was careful not to show how truly worried he was. His men needed their Captain to look confident now.  
  
However, what he felt inside was a different matter. He trusted that his men would do what they were trained for, but the situation might be too much for all of them anyway. Still, there was a bright point to this. Had it not been for McKail's warning, they probably would not have stood a chance at all. As it was, they had managed to maintain the distance until now. However, it was obvious that the pirate ship was picking up speed and the projectiles fell closer and closer. His own men were prepared to riposte, but they knew better than waste shots while out of range.  
  
Maybe those pirates were not all that good after all, or most likely they used the premature attack as a demoralizing tactic. Cole had to admit that it did have an effect. He could not only feel it, but also see it on his officers' expressions.  
  
When the hit came, he almost had a movement of panic. The projectile entered the deck not far from where the cargo hold stood, and he half expected the ship to be filling with water already. By some miracle however, it seemed that the damage was only internal, and his men started shooting in turn, galvanized by fear.  
  
As the battle unfolded, he could not help worrying about Phoebe, not knowing exactly where she was. He had seen them run toward the lower deck with McKail, then nothing since… He could only hope that they were nowhere near the hit…  
  
Paul and the girls were thrown to the floor when the cannonball struck. It took them a moment to get back up and Paul saw that Prue was bleeding from her forehead with a slight panic. He went to her first, worrying that she could be hurt even worse. However, she pushed him away, assuring him somewhat rudely that she could take care of herself. Even now, she could not forget what she considered a rejection in the end. She knew that she was being unreasonable, but the hurt was too much. Still, she was grateful that he was with them under the circumstances. Her sisters were getting up as well, thankfully unhurt. Nevertheless, looking back down the hallway, they saw thick smoke coming toward them and knew that they had only escaped by a hair. Out there, they could still hear loud noises, telling them that the battle still raged. They cringed for each explosion, expecting each one to hit and finish them…  
  
Leo caught himself more than once losing his concentration for the task at hand and looking back toward the gaping hole in the deck. He was going crazy with worry, and yet he could not leave his post, no matter how much he wanted to.  
  
Captain Turner gave him a look that he assumed was of reproach once more. He was unable to hide his worries, and was certain that the Captain thought of this as a weakness. Nevertheless, he believed that he read something else in the man's expression. Particularly after he saw him looking toward the devastation on his ship for a brief moment… "Could it be that he cares," thought Leo. "But most probably, he is just worried about his cargo," he continued for himself, bitterly.  
  
Another shot had resounded from one of their cannons at this point, and they all turned suddenly when they heard the distinctly different sound…  
  
In spite of her fear, Phoebe could not help worrying about the slaves, which were obviously the ones that had been hit the most. For the last month, she had devoted a lot of her time in taking care of them. First, convincing the handlers to let her in at great efforts, and then bringing them as much food and necessities that she could gather. There was one that she cared particularly about… Her name was Li, and she was with child. However, her pregnancy was a difficult one. The conditions might have been relatively good in there, but it was no place for her. Even with the sounds of the battle, she could still hear the clamors and cries coming from aft. She could not help imagining them hurt or dying. Her heart went to them and she suddenly moved toward the thick smoke, almost before anyone could stop her.  
  
Prue called to her imperatively. "Phoebe, where are you going? Are you crazy?"  
  
Phoebe turned reluctantly toward her sister. "I have to go help them Prue. They're hurt…"  
  
"Of whom are you talking about," she said, having somewhat forgotten about the black people trapped in there. Phoebe answered impatiently:  
  
"The slaves… They were underneath the worst of the hit. They will need assistance."  
  
Piper and Prue hesitated only a moment before they followed their sister.  
  
Paul looked at them as if they were truly crazy. Then, he simply sighed and followed them as well. Only then did he notice that the battle seemed to have stopped, at least for the moment. He truly hoped that the Captain had succeeded in distancing the pirate ship, as they all entered the worst part of the hallway, their hands covering their mouth but barely succeeding at filtering the smoke.  
  
Out there, the men looked in amazement as the other ship fell behind, badly hit in its middle. One of their own projectiles had hit the mast and caused serious damages to the pirate ship as well, crippling it.  
  
Now escape was possible, but none of them breathed easier until the other vessel was not even a point on the horizon. Captain Turner did not wait for this however. As soon as he thought it safe enough, he left the bridge abruptly and went aft.  
  
There, he could see that some of his sailors were already working on the damage. Some were coming out of the gaping hole, coughing as one or another thing had caught fire. He immediately inquired about it, but was soon reassured that the fire had been contained. The news about the cargo hold was not so good however.  
  
"Captain, we found many wounded down there, and some are still buried under the rubble." Captain Turner only nodded very seriously before starting toward the access hatch and going down quickly.  
  
He ignored the looks of him men as he did so.  
  
Leo saw his Captain leaving without a word, and almost followed him right then. However, he knew that one of them had to stay on the bridge, at least for now. Reason was not much help however in the face of his worries. After only a few minutes of debating his feelings against his duties, the former won and he left the bridge to the ensign on duty. This one seemed a little shaken, still, but did not argue with his superior.  
  
Cole started toward the quarters immediately, expecting that the girls had been there. He found none of them however, and the slight panic that he had felt earlier increased exponentially. Almost running now, he went back on his steps, fearing what he would find. He almost bumped into his first officer in the semi darkness caused by the thick smoke. Cole looked down at him with irritation.  
  
"What are you doing here? You were supposed to stay on the bridge."  
  
"Sir, with all due respects, I will not return until I know that the ladies are ok." Leo said firmly.  
  
Cole almost argued, but instead, he shrugged and turned away from him, continuing on his way. Leo realized then that maybe his first impression had been the right one. Normally, the Captain would have threatened him with severe punishment for his obvious dereliction of duty. Yet, he believed that he worried about the same thing as he, which made him a little more understanding of Leo's plight.  
  
Cole stopped and turned toward him again, when he realized that this one was not following him. "They're not in the quarters, come with me."  
  
This not only confirmed what Leo had assumed, but he could now hear the anxiety in his voice.  
  
Without a word, he followed Cole, his throat constricted by his fear for Piper.  
  
What they found was a horrible display of destruction and pain. At first, they could only distinguish the slaves, either lying down moaning and some screaming or crying. Then, both of them breathed easier when they spotted the girls, all busy with the most wounded apparently.  
  
When they had arrived to the hold, Phoebe had spotted Li almost immediately, and although she did not seem to have been hurt by the blast, she was obviously in pain. Phoebe had feared that the baby might come prematurely. An older woman had been by her side, simply holding her hand and seemingly at a loss as to what to do. Phoebe sighed sadly, wishing then that there were a competent physician on hand. In front of her, the misery was palpable. The slaves were in a panic, some trying to get out of the still locked enclosure. Not even the quieting down of the battle seemed to calm them. It did not help that they could not understand a word of English. No matter how reassuring they were trying to be, the people stuck in there were not very receptive to it.  
  
A few sailors had arrived almost at the same time as they, and the girls had turned toward them expectantly. Obviously, they had intended to care about their own first, and to tend to the slaves later, but Prue had stopped them on their way when they did not pay attention to her. "Hey, there are people gravely wounded in there, they need help!"  
  
One of them answered rudely:  
  
"They will be taken care of later, stay out of the way."  
  
Prue's temper had flared at this. She came closer to the man, not caring how much bigger and stronger than she:  
  
"You will open the doors and let us in right now," she had almost screamed in his face.  
  
Her bold attitude had startled the man, and it was possibly the only reason why he had agreed to let them in the cells. No matter why, he had shrugged and opened it for them. In spite of their insistence however, the girls had hesitated slightly at entering the enclosure, as the slaves were still very agitated. Prue was again the one taking the initiative, as she entered cautiously, with her hands in front of her in an appeasing gesture. Some of the men had tried to use this opportunity to escape, but the sailors stood fast behind the girls, guns at the ready.  
  
Soon however, seeing Phoebe, the woman called to the men, obviously telling them that they were here to help, because they calmed down and stepped back.  
  
Paul had followed them in apprehensively, as he knew how volatile the situation was, and he cringed when the sailor closed the cell door behind him…  
  
Cole and Leo found them already in the process of tending to the wounded and the former could not help being worried at seeing Phoebe once more in the middle of those people. There was no telling what they might do to the girls, although, from the look of things, the slaves seemed to show respect toward them.  
  
This time, he did not try to conceal himself, but rather went straight to the sailor left on guard, demanding the door opened for him and his first officer.  
  
The noise level was still too high for the girls to notice the new arrivals, but Paul saw them coming in and wondered what they intended to do. Even more so, he believed it odd that the two highest ranked officers were down here rather than on the bridge. However, seeing their worried expression, he figured that they had the same motivation as he.  
  
He could not help a little smile at the thought of how much these sisters were apt at capturing a man's heart. He saw the Captain's expression soften noticeably while watching Phoebe. He had stopped just inside the cell, obviously worried to provoke the very riot that Paul, himself, had feared.  
  
Indeed, the slaves were now turning their attentions toward the newcomers, but they obviously thought better of acting against them, particularly for the guard, who stood at the ready, his gun trailing on the crowd.  
  
From his vantage, Cole could now see the extent of the damage. One side of the cell had collapsed but left an enormous pile of rubbles, pieces of it strewn all over the cell floor. Under the rubble, he could see that indeed, there were some of the most unfortunate slaves, most probably dead. Only by what he called luck was the gaping hole giving directly on the hull and did not allow the slaves to escape. Had it happened, this level of damage might have been the least of their concern…He turned back toward Phoebe once more, as she was kneeling by a young woman, which looked up at her with panicky eyes.  
  
Her other sisters were using torn pieces of their own clothing to bandage wounds. The air was reeking of blood and smoke. A very pitiful sight, indeed…  
  
Leo found himself just as apprehensive once in the cell. He did not know what to expect, although, his first response would have been to go and help Piper. The fact of the matter was that officers in uniforms were definitely not welcome in this environment, as he could clearly read the slaves' angry expressions.  
  
Cole felt something indefinable at the sight. Afterward, and without being sure why, he turned to the guard and ordered men, and the medic to be sent in… It was either because of some hint of compassion; the fact that he was somewhat humbled by the girls' action; or simply that he wanted to preserve what was left of his cargo. He could not even decide for himself what had really motivated it.  
  
The guard hesitated, looking toward the slaves, and then toward his captain. Cole pulled out his gun and signaled him to give his to Leo, letting him know that they could take care of themselves. Only then, did the girls notice Cole and Leo. They turned questioning stares toward them, but at the moment, these were rather busy keeping their distance from the slaves. Soon, however, men carrying bandages and tools came around, entering the cell in turn. Some went to pick up the rubble and search for possible survivors, while a few others, following the Captain's orders helped care for the wounded. Captain Turner and Leo finally made their way cautiously toward the girls, as these had returned to their grim task.  
  
Cole found Phoebe back by the young women's side. He had seen her helping others while waiting, but she seemed genuinely concerned about this one in particular. He observed the girl without noticing any wounds, but then realized that she was pregnant and obviously in pain. This made him even more uncomfortable, but he did not go away. However, he could not bring himself to say anything and just stood there, waiting for something without knowing exactly what it was.  
  
Phoebe surprised him then.  
  
"Thank you," she uttered without looking back.  
  
He was taken aback, as he had not realized that she knew of his presence.  
  
"No need to thank me," he answered curtly, "I… have a personal stake in these people's wellbeing," he continued, but this time more hesitantly.  
  
Phoebe shrugged and turned to him without smiling.  
  
"Nevertheless, thank you."  
  
She observed him for a moment without showing her true feelings on the matter, and her scrutiny augmented his discomfort.  
  
"What is the matter with her?" He asked suddenly, trying to break the tension. Again, he berated himself for his brusqueness, as he saw her flinch at his tone of voice.  
  
"As a matter of fact, Captain, this young woman should not be here, and should not have been here in the first place. She is very weak and in need of medical attention." She said this as she was turning back toward Li and put her hand lightly on her forehead, in a compassionate gesture.  
  
"I'm sorry," he replied, slightly softer, "but she has to stay here. My men will take care of all of them. You and your sisters should leave now," he added somewhat nervously.  
  
Phoebe glared at him and her disappointment disturbed him.  
  
"We will stay here for as long as we're needed."  
  
Unable to sustain her disapproving stare, he turned back saying:  
  
"Suit yourself," with again a harsher tone of voice than he had meant. Then, he went back outside the cell, and once there, he stopped. He looked back toward her from afar, and took a long time before finally leaving the lower deck, frustration mixing with an odd and undefined remorse.  
  
Leo watched Piper with a mix of joy at seeing her unhurt, and awe at her endeavor. He wanted to help somehow, but his station prevented him from it. He could still feel the black people staring at him suspiciously and he stood quietly aside. At one point, she turned to him with a weak smile, and he had the distinct impression that she was simply happy that he was there. This gave him a warm feeling, as his affection for her grew by the moment. Only when he saw the Captain leaving did he tear himself away from her:  
  
"I have to go," he said, with a reluctant expression.  
  
Piper turned toward him.  
  
"That's ok, I am just glad that you're fine." Leo smiled happily:  
  
"And I am happy that nothing happened to you." He hesitated some more, then added softly: "I will be back later…"  
  
She simply smiled and he turned away, feeling oddly content in the face of this tragedy.  
  
For the rest of this day, the girls and Paul worked tirelessly, helping the grateful people there. Paul gave a hand to the men who were digging out the bodies and clearing up the debris, for his part.  
  
At some point, a few of the slaves, still wary of the white people, had tried to take advantage of the comings and goings by rushing the cell door again. They had quickly been dispersed, but not long after this, Prue noticed that Phoebe was gone. She worried about her, but told herself that maybe she simply had become too tired and gone back to the cabin. Her illness had left her a little weaker than before, even after a whole month. She intended to go have a look but the work was still unfinished, and she simply hoped that everything was fine with Phoebe.  
  
Captain Turner distractedly oversaw the repair work already under way. Then he returned to the bridge, no closer to understand his own feelings.  
  
He spent the rest of the afternoon trying to concentrate on his duties, but it was to no avail, as his mind was wandering back toward the cargo hold, and to what she might be doing… He had given up trying to deny this, and he was about to go back there, when one of the sailors came on the bridge with the casualty count. They had lost at least ten men in the blast, which was bad. However, in a way, it was a relief considering what might have happened. On the other hand, the man had odd news about the slaves' count.  
  
"Sir, it appears that there are two missing slaves," he said with a hint of hesitation.  
  
"How can you be so sure that those two are not still buried under the rubble?"  
  
"Sir, we have searched thoroughly and found no others. Thirty slaves are dead and have been taken away from the cell. A few more are in bad shape and not expected to survive…" Cole did not like this one bit, but he still believed that they had miscounted the slaves.  
  
"I would recount if I were you. After all, where would they have gone," he replied dubiously.  
  
Dismissing the man, he went out of the bridge and spotted Phoebe, apparently on her way back to the lower deck. He wondered for how long she had been up there, but at this point he simply followed his impulse and went after her. It was almost nightfall and most of the workers had left, since the best part of the repairs was already accomplished. For some reason, he did not call to her, but simply waited for her to go down before going in himself.  
  
Once there, he almost turned toward the cargo hold, but something made him look back. That is when he thought that he saw her, just before she took a turn out of sight in the opposite direction.  
  
Again, he moved toward her, wondering even more what she was doing, but expecting to find her in McKail's quarters.  
  
After he lost sight of her, he went all the way there, but found none of them. He was coming back on his steps in puzzlement, when he heard a muffled scream on his left. There, he saw a small door giving on a storage room. He heard nothing more afterward, but was certain that someone was in there, and after only a moment of hesitation, he barged in the room, stopping short at what he found.  
  
Phoebe was kneeling by the same young pregnant girl that he had seen earlier. Another older woman was with them and they all looked up in fear at seeing him there. He stood paralyzed, stunned to find her there, with them. After the first shock, Phoebe became irate at his arrival. She knew that he would be angry with her, but she still thought that she was doing the right thing and she stood up resolutely putting herself between him and the other two. Throughout his anger, he could not help admiring her courage and determination. Still, he reacted in the only way he knew how:  
  
"What on earth do you think that you are doing?"  
  
Phoebe took only a second before answering as firmly as she could:  
  
"This girl needs constant care. I could not leave her behind in this place. She needs calm to recuperate."  
  
He started to protest but suddenly stopped himself.  
  
Looking back and forth between Phoebe and the other women, he made a decision.  
  
"If you really think that it is necessary, I will allow you to care for her. But, were you really intent on keeping her in this closet?"  
  
Phoebe breathed easier, although his response had stunned her.  
  
"You mean, you agree?"  
  
"That's what I said, is it not?" He replied, somewhat uncertain.  
  
Phoebe observed him some more and he felt strangely pleased and embarrassed at the same time. When he met her eyes, he saw the same sweetness that had been there a month ago, albeit more hesitant. No matter the reason for it, he knew that for the first time in a month, he had done the right thing in her eyes, and he was simply happy about it. He wanted only to take her in his arms again, to feel her against him, the memory of this morning's kiss still imprinted in him. Yet, he held off, afraid that he would once more be wrong and lose this tenuous connection with her. Li's little scream pulled them out of the magical moment. He looked back at her, still seeing the fear in her eyes, but also her face contorting in obvious pain.  
  
Frowning nervously, he turned back toward Phoebe questioningly:  
  
"Is she having the baby," he asked, with obvious trepidation.  
  
Seeing that strong man apparently afraid of a very natural process finally brought a smile to Phoebe's lips. This time, he squirmed, while knowing full well that she was gently mocking him.  
  
After a moment she decided to get him out of his misery:  
  
"No, I do not think so. I believe that she's having muscle cramps and those have become more intense because of the stress."  
  
He sighed in relief, making her smile wider. Then he wondered:  
  
"How do you know for sure? Does she speak English?"  
  
He was incredulous, as he had never heard any of them speak English, or French for that matter, other than the ones who had been among Europeans for a long while.  
  
"No, but Li and me have found ways to communicate," she then said, returning by the young girl's side.  
  
He just nodded. "Ok then, if I agree that you may take care of her, you must agree to keep it a secret." Phoebe looked back in surprise:  
  
"Why? Are you not the Captain of this ship?"  
  
"This could cause dissention among the men. I am the one who is supposed to maintain discipline, not the one who should break the rules. This is non- negotiable…" "Alright…! But as you pointed out, I can't keep her here…"  
  
Piper, Prue and Paul could finally go back to the cabin. They had lost a few of their charges, and they were very depressed about it. At this point, however, they only longed for some rest and tried to focus on the people that they had helped.  
  
Piper entered the cabin first while Prue lingered outside with Paul. They still had some unfinished business, she knew.  
  
This one seemed uncomfortable now that the tensions of the day were somewhat behind them. He feared what she might have to say.  
  
Before she could reject him completely, he felt like saying something.  
  
"Miss Halliwell," he started, "Prue, I just want you to know that there is nothing that I would want more than to be with you. I never felt this way about anyone else."  
  
He saw her about to interrupt, but took her hand and continued quickly:  
  
"However, it's for this very reason that I can't impose on you. I have nothing to offer you but a life as a fugitive. This would be unfair to you. I know you think that I treated you badly, and you have a right. I was the one who was out of line by taking advantage this morning."  
  
He was about to continue but Prue did not let him this time. "Can I say something?"  
  
"I'm sorry, go ahead…"  
  
"I have had time to think about it. Even throughout this day…I am not angry with you. I even understand. I…"  
  
Piper coming out of the cabin in panic stopped the conversation short.  
  
"Where is Phoebe?"  
  
Prue turned to her sister with a hint of panic and remorse. She had assumed that Phoebe was there…  
  
Cole felt a strange thrill at sneaking up like this. He had gone ahead of them, looking out for any sailors who might spot them. Outside, it was becoming very dark and he knew that this would provide them with the cover they needed to move the slaves out of the lower deck. However, some men were still busying themselves with the repairs in spite of the late hour. He did his best to avoid them, going ahead and making sure that no one would notice their passage. It reminded him of the rare occasions where he had broken the rules as a boy, notably by sneaking up in the neighbor's orchard to steal a few apples. The thought brought a rare smile to his lips in spite of the tense situation. He had also been worried about Phoebe's sisters, but she assured him that they would agree to keep the matter quiet.  
  
As he was going up, certain that no one was in sight, the girls and Paul coming down startled him. Before he realized who they were, he signaled nervously for Phoebe and the slaves to hide quickly.  
  
Prue and Piper came to him resolutely as soon as they saw him:  
  
"Where is Phoebe," Prue asked curtly, certain that he must have something to do with her disappearance. Phoebe recognized her sister and showed herself immediately. She had heard the anxiety in Prue's voice.  
  
"I am here, don't worry."  
  
Prue looked disapprovingly from the Captain to Phoebe and it was clear to see what she was thinking.  
  
Cole sustained her stared, but Phoebe protested quickly:  
  
"Prue, it's not what you think…"  
  
Prue retorted rhetorically.  
  
"How do you know what I'm thinking," even though she knew that there was no mistaking her attitude.  
  
Phoebe disappeared for an instant and came back with the young girl supported by the old woman.  
  
"This is why…"  
  
Prue and Piper looked at them in amazement, wondering what this meant.  
  
Cole was becoming increasingly nervous of being discovered, so he interrupted the explanations: "She will tell you all about this, but for now let us move away from here…"  
  
Although startled, they still followed him to the cabin, luckily meeting no one else on the way. There, Phoebe put Li in bed, and was happy to see her obviously feeling better. The young girl fell asleep almost immediately, and Phoebe turned back toward her astounded sisters.  
  
Cole had stayed by the door; again made uncomfortable by the crowd. The others were in turn casting curious looks toward him, wondering what had caused him to help free a slave. Phoebe explained to them the situation as it was and presently, Prue turned to him frankly:  
  
"I must say that you surprise me, Captain…"  
  
His discomfort grew and he tried to conceal it by responding grumpily:  
  
"Do not make any mistake; I have not freed this girl and her companion. I simply agreed to let your sister take care of her until she's better…"  
  
Unwilling to answer anymore of their questions, he turned on his heels and left without another word under their curious stares.  
  
Phoebe hesitated, looking back toward her charges, and the now closed door.  
  
Then she resolutely moved toward the latter.  
  
Prue called to her:  
  
"Phoebe, don't you think that you have been out enough for one day."  
  
Instead of answering this, Phoebe simply said:  
  
"Please take care of them until my return." Not waiting for an answer, she went out in turn. Prue looked the way she had left with a little reproach and even more worry.  
  
Phoebe was walking resolutely toward the bridge, convinced that he had returned there, when she spotted him, leaning against the rail in an unaccustomed relaxed pose. She stopped for a moment, still unsure of what had pushed her to go after him. Yet, she was here, and she wanted to see this through.  
  
Moving slower, she walked toward him and called:  
  
"Captain?"  
  
She saw him stifling at her voice and wondered if he was upset that she had followed him. Nevertheless, she continued:  
  
"I wanted…I wanted to thank you again for your help."  
  
He took a moment to answer, not looking back.  
  
"I told you," he finally said, "You don't have to thank me."  
  
She could sense that he was struggling with something and she came closer, leaning against the rail in turn, and looking up toward him expectantly.  
  
"You have done the right thing you know that, don't you?"  
  
He did not answer, but she saw him breathe deeply, and she knew right then that it was her presence that affected him. Impulsively, as he kept looking away, she lifted her hand toward his face, lightly touching the tanned cheeks. He shuddered at her touch, but did not move away. Slowly, he turned toward her instead and smiled shyly at her.  
  
In his eyes, she could read such want now that it gave her a pleasant chill throughout. She smiled in response, moving slightly closer, while her fingers slid of their own accord toward his lips, tracing them lightly.  
  
He reacted suddenly, taking her hand and kissing her palm while staring at her with a more purposeful expression. She saw that he still hesitated however, and in the end, it was she, who made the first move, lifting herself toward him and kissing him lightly. Before she could pull away, he wrapped his arm around her pulling her to him without any more hesitation. He could not believe that she was in his arms again, willingly. But no matter whether it was true or a wishful dream, he was not going to let her go, not now. He was looking at her with amazement now, and she simply forgot about everything else, knowing that he was far from the man that she had hoped for, and yet that he was the one that she had always wanted.  
  
This time he moved slowly, afraid of scaring her away again. Delicately, he kissed her forehead, letting his lips slide slowly toward her eyes, now closed. She sighed against him, and he knew that it was of pleasure, as she moved even closer to him. He put his hand behind her head, reveling in the touch of her hair, the feel of her skin, still trying to convince himself that this was for real. He came to brush her lips, their salty taste almost a reminder of the only mistress he ever truly had, the sea. As she felt his hesitation, her impatience grew and she opened her lips to his, almost demanding now. He responded in kind, losing himself in the moment. The touch of her hand on his skin was like a balm and a little pain at the same time, exacerbating his need for her, as he felt the burning sensation coursing through him.  
  
He had to restrain himself not to act upon his usual instinct to take what he needed. For some reason, he knew that what he truly wanted was to belong to her as much as she would be his. Her simple presence, feeling her trembling against him, gave him more pleasure and satisfaction than he had ever felt through his years of meandering. He would have given anything for this never to end.  
  
Prue had to call three times, the last one loudly and very impatiently, in order to finally get Phoebe's attention. This one pulled away suddenly, with a little embarrassment, but happy nevertheless. She could see confusion in his eyes now, as he obviously had not realized that her sister was calling. Prue was now coming toward them resolutely, and she took Phoebe's arm somewhat rudely, eliciting an angry stare from Cole.  
  
"Phoebe, it's time to come in," Prue declaimed firmly, looking directly at the Captain without flinching. Phoebe tried to protest:  
  
"Prue, you did not have to…"  
  
"Let's go," Prue replied even more impatiently, while ignoring her sister's comment.  
  
Phoebe followed reluctantly, looking back a few times with a weak smile on her lips. He watched her going with growing apprehension, knowing full well that her sister would try to dissuade her from coming to him again. Try as he might however, he could not find what argument he could put in his own favor. When she had reentered the cabin, he felt empty and lost, worried like never before that he might have found paradise, and lost it forever… 


	6. Eye of the Storm (Chapter 6)

Eye of the Storm  
  
1 Chapter VI  
  
  
  
The moment they were in the cabin, Phoebe turned on Prue with fire in her eyes. "How dare you try to direct my life? I think that I am old enough to decide for myself!" Prue took a deep breath, as she always had problems with her temper.  
  
"First, Phoebe, I have no intention of directing your life. I simply do not want you to get involve under false pretenses."  
  
This did not do anything to calm her little sister down, as she started walking and talking fast at the same time.  
  
"You were always like this, pretending that you're not controlling when it is obvious to everyone else. Why couldn't you trust me for once in your life?"  
  
Prue tried very hard not to get angry:  
  
"Phoebe, please…"  
  
"Don't Phoebe please me. You humiliated me out there. Made me look like a little girl, the way you want me to remain forever. Well I have news for you! I am not a little girl anymore!"  
  
Piper saw her older sister getting increasingly upset, and she thought that she should intervene. "Phoebe, you don't know what we have learned about the Captain. If you did, maybe you would understand."  
  
Phoebe turned toward her. "I know enough. He is not as bad as we thought, of that, I am certain now. He helped me when he had no obligation at all."  
  
Piper gave Phoebe such an appalled look that she suddenly wondered what else they might have learned, in spite of her resolve about Cole.  
  
"Phoebe, I know that you want to believe the best about him, and I can understand this. I may even think that you could be right about him. Yet, what Mr. McKail told us of him…" Phoebe interrupted: "What?"  
  
Piper turned to Prue, seemingly unable to finish the explanation.  
  
Prue, always the one to go to the point, bluntly told her what was on their minds.  
  
"Phoebe, it's very much possible that he did not help you out of the goodness of his heart, if he even has one…"  
  
Phoebe grunted then, ready to pounce again. However Prue was quicker:  
  
"He may have done this because he wanted to take advantage of you…"  
  
Phoebe's eyes grew wider, as she was now staring incredulously at her sister:  
  
"What on earth makes you think that he would do that? This is ridiculous…"  
  
As she was saying this however, she wondered, remembering his action of the morning. Then, he had been less than sweet about his advances. Even brutal… "Could it be," she asked herself, all along trying not to let her sisters see her doubts.  
  
Prue was still talking, but she only heard part of what she was saying. She was telling her of a philandering man, who had a propensity toward women, usually of a less than stellar background. The little she let in hurt her still. Nevertheless, she did not want them to see it. Maybe because of the way she felt about him. She thought painfully that if this were true, then he had played her very well, abusing her feelings in the worst possible way.  
  
"Stop right there. I don't want to hear this filth anymore. You're only reporting gossips."  
  
Prue sighed heavily. "At least, give yourself some time, please? Maybe we're wrong… but even if we were, what would it hurt to wait a little? If he is the gentleman that you believe him to be, he'll wait as well…"  
  
From her tone of voice, Phoebe knew that she did not believe he would prove her wrong. Phoebe looked at them all in turn with an air of uncertainty, and then, unable to sustain what she felt as pity, she turned toward the alcove and left them without another word.  
  
There, away from their concerned looks, she took a few deep breaths, and sat on the small chair, observing her charges distractedly. The young girl was asleep, while the older woman way lying on one of the cots that someone, either her sisters or Mr. Mckail, had brought in, which made the little alcove seem even smaller. For her part, Phoebe could not bring herself to lie down now. She feared the idle thoughts that would come if she put her head on the pillow. Instead, she picked up a book, trying in vain to read and relax. After a while though, she realized that this was no use. She had even been tempted to throw caution to the wind and to go back to him.  
  
But now, after a few moments of reflection, she began to see the reasoning behind her sisters' advice, even though, she did not want to believe the worst.  
  
She put her fingers to her lips, remembering full well the passion of his kisses, and she sighed heavily, wishing now that she had the gift of reading minds. She had been so certain that he felt as strongly about her as she did about him. Why did it have to be so complicated, she asked herself again, even as the fatigue of the day got the better of her, and she fell asleep sitting on the chair…  
  
Cole was still leaning on the rail, lost in somber thoughts. Many times in the last half-hour, he had been tempted to go back to the cabin and assure her of his feelings for her. Yet, every time, he wondered himself about what he would say. He knew only that he had to be with her, but he did not know exactly why. There had never been any true love in his life. Not really… He had no way of defining the way he felt, let alone tell her. He had vaguely hoped that she would come back. However now, he had to accept that she would not. The pain that it caused him was almost unbearable. He hated this, this feeling of abandonment, of loss.  
  
He wanted to be reasonable about it, and just tell himself that she would be there tomorrow, yet he could not help doubting. It had been so difficult to even convince her that he was not the monster she believed him to be. Although, in all honesty, he had to admit that he had acted in this manner for her and not for the slave. Somehow, this admission made him uncomfortable, and he decided to return to his cabin, cutting short his train of thoughts. As he was turning toward the bridge, he once more bumped into his first officer. Only then did he realize that he had neglected his duties. Considering the day that they had, it was almost unforgivable.  
  
Mr. Wyatt seemed slightly annoyed and embarrassed at meeting him there, but Cole had no intention of either talking to him or even acknowledging him. He simply passed him without a word, so caught up in his problems that he did not even worry about what the first officer would say if he found out about the slaves.  
  
Leo hesitated, not because he cared much about what the captain would say anymore, but rather because he had not kept his promise and wondered if Piper would be angry with him. All evening, he had wanted to go back and help them, but the events of the day had worried many of the men, demanding for him and the other officers to show a good front and stay at their post. He truly hoped that she would understand.  
  
As he climbed the steps toward the cabin, this brought back the wondering about the Captain. By far, this one should have been the one on the bridge. Yet he had left without a word and was only now returning. Leo recognized the signs of a man in love all the more because he himself was falling in love, which was now obvious to him.  
  
Only love could trouble a man so deeply, he knew. And from the look of Captain Turner, things were still not going well. Leo just hoped that his own brush with love would not be so painful. She answered at the first knock, obviously expecting someone. The smile on her face told him that she was glad to see him and he breathed deeply in relief. He had been holding his breath without realizing it, fearing a rejection.  
  
"Mr. Wyatt," she said, with the sweet voice he was growing so fond of, "I did not think that I would see you again today…"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I could not free myself until now…"  
  
Piper smiled anew, a soft glow seemingly surrounding her in his eyes. He knew that it was all in his imagination but it did not matter. To him, she looked like an angel.  
  
"May I come in," he then asked, when she did not invite him in immediately.  
  
Her expression changed so suddenly that he wondered if he had dreamt the warm welcome. "Huh," she said, looking back inside anxiously, "maybe we could take a walk outside?"  
  
He could sense that something was amiss, but he did not want to upset her with an inquiry. Therefore, and in spite of his now intense curiosity, he agreed to the promenade. She only went back in for a moment to get a warmer vest according to her, but she still closed the door on him before going in, which reinforced his impression that something was wrong.  
  
  
  
"Piper, what are you going to tell him?"  
  
Prue was watching her younger sister with slight apprehension.  
  
"I don't know yet… but if the Captain agreed to let us take care of this girl, I really think that Mr. Wyatt will be most understanding himself…" Prue frowned.  
  
"Remember what Phoebe told us on the way here; Captain Turner made her promise not to tell a soul…" Piper sighed heavily.  
  
"Prue, I will have to tell him at some point. Or he will find out on his own…"  
  
"And why is that?" Prue asked, even though she knew the answer. Sometimes Piper thought that she just enjoyed seeing her sisters squirm under her scrutiny, or even making them angry…  
  
"If you must know," she replied curtly, "I intend to see this man more in the future, and he is bound to come in here."  
  
Prue seemed amused by her sister's admission, which confirmed Piper's impression.  
  
"You do?" "Oh shut up, you know perfectly well."  
  
Paul found the exchange rather amusing himself, even while trying to be as discreet about it as he could. Still, Piper noticed his little smile and she shrugged with embarrassment. She then turned around and quickly went out the door.  
  
Prue still had the little mocking smile on when she turned toward him, but it quickly vanished, reminding him that their problem was far from resolved. When she said nothing, he spoke. "You were trying to tell me something earlier? When we were so rudely interrupted…"  
  
"Huh, yes." Prue looked away, unsure if her feelings on the matter had not changed once more. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than for him to take her in his arms and tell her that he wanted her, that he loved her. Yet, he was staying away, and the few glances she risked his way told her that he was waiting anxiously for her to talk.  
  
She cleared her throat, and then turned toward him with more apparent resolve than she felt inside. "I was telling you that I overreacted. I mean, I should've been more reasonable about all of this. You were right of course."  
  
Somehow, Paul had not expected her to cave so easily. It hurt to think that maybe she was not as inclined toward him as he had believed. However, he berated himself for even thinking this. It was not fair to her. After all, he was the one putting an obstacle to their relationship. God, he wanted so much for things to be different, he thought, as he was watching her. That is when he noticed that she wouldn't look at him.  
  
He had been so absorbed by his own disappointment that he had not realized how difficult it must have been for her. Her lips were pinched in an obvious effort to contain her emotions, and it gave him the urge to wrap his arms around her, to stop her pain, as well as his own. He had to look away, the need for her being now almost irresistible.  
  
The silence was becoming thick with all sorts of meanings, and it rendered both of them uncomfortable. At this point, he thought better to leave while he still could.  
  
Getting up, he told her, while moving toward the door: "I just want to assure you again how much I wish that I was free. I'm sorry."  
  
He could not look at her. She almost let him go without a word. However, as he had his hand on the doorknob, she called back.  
  
"If…" She began, stopping him in his track. "If you were free…"  
  
She licked her lips, somehow unsure if she should really ask this.  
  
"Would you…" The words again stayed in her throat. But this time he answered.  
  
"With all my heart, Prue."  
  
He hesitated a moment longer, then he went out, while she stared at the door, wondering which would have been worse: that he did not care about her that much or that he did…  
  
Piper looked up her head at the sudden flicker of light coming from their cabin. She was surprised to see Paul coming out of there so soon after her departure. Something was definitely up with those two…  
  
She watched him distractedly heading for his quarters, and then she turned back to Leo, who was observing her as well. She was very uncomfortable at keeping something from him. Without knowing exactly why, she felt that she should have been able to share everything with Leo. She was certain that he was a good man and that he would understand. Yet, every time she was about to tell, she was reminded of the promise Phoebe got out of them. It annoyed her terribly. What was more, she could read his expression, and knew that he was aware of her dissimulation. She had never been a good liar, and today was definitely not an exception. Piper expected him to start questioning her at any moment. Yet, in spite of his obvious curiosity, he didn't ask for anything.  
  
Leo had led her almost to the very same spot where the Captain had stood only minutes earlier. There, they both had stayed silent, just happy to be together. He could not get enough of watching her lovely features, feeling very lucky that such a beautiful creature would want to be with him, even if only for tonight. Of course, he had hopes that it would last much longer…  
  
"Do you think that we're safe now," Piper asked suddenly.  
  
Leo liked the nice and safe conversation. He had tried to figure out what to say for the last few minutes. "I would say so. Of course, we still have a month of travel ahead of us… But you should not worry yourself," he added quickly, seeing her becoming anxious again. "What you have been through doesn't happen to everyone."  
  
Piper uttered a derisive laughter and said with definite sarcasm:  
  
"Yeah, I suppose that it's luck…"  
  
"I am so sorry that you had to suffer all of this," he replied sincerely.  
  
"It was not your fault," she answered quickly, turning back toward him.  
  
"In fact, I…"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
She smiled sweetly, trying to find the words.  
  
"In spite of all the pain, there was a silver lining to what happened."  
  
It was not so much the words but the way she said them that told him how she truly felt. He lifted a hesitant hand toward her and caressed her cheek lightly. For a moment, he thought that she would move away from him, but instead, after some hesitation, she turned her face up to him, inviting him.  
  
His lips brushed against hers, as he was almost trembling from the restraint. He wanted her so much, but he was afraid to lose this wonderful moment if he let himself act upon his desire.  
  
However, she soon responded, telling him that she had been waiting for this. He felt her hand, now on the back of his head, pulling him toward her, urging him. Piper was amazed at the intensity of her reaction, as her lips parted of their own accord, and he wrapped his arms around her, molding her against his firm body. She had never felt such intimacy, such need. Even as she was blushing at her own desires, there was nothing that would have made her pull away from him. There, in his arms, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was meant to be. She felt warm all over in spite of the late hour and the breeze. They were so close that she could feel his racing heart, beating in time with hers. At last, his lips left hers and came to rest on her forehead. She kept her eyes closed, bathing in the wonderful sensation still.  
  
"Miss Halliwell," he whispered with a tremor to his voice, "I…I know that it will sound forward, but I can't help it, I think that I am falling in love with you, with all my heart," he blurted out, surprising even himself. Her heart jumped for joy at hearing this. Until that moment, she had not dared hope that there was more to this then a strong attraction. Her response was immediate.  
  
"So do I," she answered softly.  
  
She felt him relax against her, while at the same time tightening his hold on her, and could not help but think that this moment was the most significant of her entire existence. From then on, she knew, she would do anything to be with him forever…  
  
Meanwhile, Prue had been pacing the room, unable to find peace. Her need for Paul was growing rather than not. Maybe even because of the apparent impossibility of the relationship, she reflected. She had always been one to take up challenges. But here, there was more to it than this. From the moment she had laid eyes on him, she had felt a deep connection to him. Even though, it went against everything that she believed in, she knew that for all intent and purposes, it had been love at first sight. Now, more than ever, she was convinced of this, given his response.  
  
More than once, she walked to the door and then turned around, uncertain. The last time that she did, she went out, unable to resist the impulse anymore…  
  
Outside, she stopped only a moment, somewhat distinguishing her sister and the first officer in an embrace that only exacerbated her feelings. She turned resolutely away from them and started walking toward the hatch to the lower deck. At the bottom of the stairs, she was amazed to find him, obviously on his way back. For a long moment, they looked into each other's eyes without the need for any word.  
  
Then he suddenly moved toward her, picking her up almost effortlessly. His lips already searching for hers… He carried her away, but she had no idea for how long or where, as all she could see or feel was he. It was as she had imagined and more. She could lose herself in the sensation, his arms around her a nest for her. Only when she felt herself being lowered did she open her eyes and blinked in the semi-darkness. He was looking down at her with such intensity mixed with slight doubt that she melted. For an instant, she thought that he would leave her there, as she sensed his fears. This time, however, she could not let him go. She pulled him to her almost rudely, wanting to feel him against her. As much as he had hesitated, his kiss was no less wanting and passionate than her response. Once more, she lost herself in the moment, only feeling his burning touch on her. His hand slid down her throat, and pulled at her blouse impatiently. Soon, he managed to expose her breast and he began caressing them at first lightly, as if he waited for her to encourage him. The surprise made her jump at the first touch, but she soon arched herself toward him, reveling in the sensation. Emboldened by this, she herself started pulling on his shirt, soon able to feel his naked chest against hers. If her desire had been intense before, it was nothing in comparison to what she felt now. His lips left hers only to slide down her throat, hungrily tasting inches by inches until he lingered on her breast, while his hands seemed all over her. Soon he had undressed her, getting more impatient as he felt her excitement mounting. When he finally reached inside of her, the whole world went away, as all she could feel was the intense oneness that she had hoped for but hardly believed possible. Not once during this whole time did she question the rightfulness of her choice. It was a perfect moment, one that she would remember forever, and although she wished that it would last that long, she knew that she had found love, if only for now.  
  
After this day of misery, she felt safer in his arms than ever in her entire life. Long afterward, they held each other in silence, both of them knowing that they only wanted to prolong this moment for as long as it could last.  
  
Only once did he talk, as they were lying in the cramped closet that he had chosen as their love nest. Lowering his eyes almost shyly, he whispered:  
  
"I hope that you won't regret this…"  
  
She gave him an amused smile.  
  
"It's a little late to worry about this, isn't it?"  
  
Then, she became more serious. She caressed his face lightly, and then forced him to look back at her. "No matter what happens next, know that I wanted this even more than you did…"  
  
He could not help a little lusty smile, before adding suggestively:  
  
"I doubt that very much…" Gone was the shyness, as he pulled her to him and kissed her with as much enthusiasm as the first time…  
  
Piper entered the cabin still glowing of Leo's attentions, the only cloud to her happiness the fact that she had not yet told him about Li. She would have gladly stayed out longer, but thought more reasonable to wait, as things were quickly warming up between them. At first, she did not notice anything, but then she looked around and realized that Prue was nowhere to be found. She even went to look into Phoebe's alcove and almost woke this one up when she found her asleep on the chair. However, she thought better of it, knowing that her little sister was very emotional right now, and that if she had found sleep, it was better not to disturb her. She came back in the middle of the room, perplexed. But then, she understood what must have happened with a little shock. It did not last long however, as she knew her sister well, and that her passions were very strong. She sighed and hoped that Prue was not making a big mistake, before she finally headed to bed…  
  
The first few days, Cole has been increasingly worried, then frankly upset. He had gone to them once, only to be turned down somewhat rudely by Phoebe's older sister. She had opened the door with a large smile that he knew was not meant for him. Then, seeing Cole there, the smile had quickly vanished, replaced by a very severe expression. He hardly had time to place a word before she told him that he was not to come there until Phoebe asked for him.  
  
Ever since, he had tried to be patient, but patience had never been one of his strongest virtues. Still, he did not know how to get back to that beautiful moment with her, as he came to see it more as manipulation than anything else. She had not showed up in more than a week, and by then, he had convinced himself that she had only been using him and his feelings. Granted, he had to admit that her cause might have been just, but that did not make him feel any better. He had always thought of women as manipulative and selfish. And while he had believed her to be different, his opinion was rapidly changing on the subject. Until now, he had never cared for any of them however, using them, as he believed they were using him. The difference was obviously that now he cared, a lot.  
  
It did not help to watch his first officer showing all the signs of happiness, even when he was hard on him. Nothing seemed to make a dent in the man's mood. At one point, he even felt an odd remorse at the way he treated Leo, but even this added to his anger, as he was convinced that the strange feelings were all her doing. This is why when she did come to Cole his attitude had changed radically toward her. 


	7. Eye of the Storm (Chapter 7)

Eye of the Storm  
  
1.1 Chapter VII  
  
  
  
Li had seemed to get better in the first few days, as she was under their constant care. However, soon the cramps returned even stronger, and Phoebe was at a loss as to what might be the cause. Eventually, she went back to the other slaves, continuing what she had started before, and cleverly questioned the medic, who obviously had not cared enough to realize that a pregnant woman had been among the slaves and had now disappeared.  
  
From his talk with him, where she had pretended a vague interest into the matter, she had found out that such malaise could be caused by a serious deficiency in the diet. Particularly milk and fruits… She could not very well ask him for those without making him suspicious, but the girls worked out that on the ship, such commodities were rare and only reserved to the officers. Even with the supplements that Leo had provided, there was not enough of it to compensate the lengthy deficiency that she had suffered.  
  
Throughout all this, Phoebe had taken some time to think; trying to make sense of her mixed feelings toward the Captain, but it was in vain. However, the constant in all of this was that she wanted to see him again, and now she had a perfect excuse, as they had managed to keep the truth even from Leo. Now, Cole was the only one that they could turn to, and she used it. She felt very bad at having hesitated so long, and was worried about his reaction. Nevertheless, she had no doubts that he would understand in the end…  
  
Cole saw her coming toward the bridge with a mix of anger and excitement. All that time that he had struggled with his doubts, he had not been able to chase the hope completely. Still, when she entered, he did not go to her, nor smile or make any gesture toward her. Phoebe had been smiling, albeit weakly, but the little hint of joy vanished, as she took in his attitude. Cole had missed her so much, and yet he was so angry with her. How could he resolve this dilemma?  
  
Phoebe hesitated a moment, unsure anymore of what she could say or do. It had all seemed so simple, so clear only a week ago, before her sisters had planted the seed of doubt in her mind. At this point, she was tempted to turn around and not look back. Yet, she remembered why she had come there in the first place, and took her courage in hands, walking slowly toward him.  
  
"Captain," she called softly, trying to stay as calm as she could under the circumstance. He took a moment before acknowledging her, even though she was certain that he had been observing her intently until now.  
  
"What is it," he asked, almost scornfully, and Phoebe flinched in spite of her resolve. Again, the temptation to turn around and run away was very strong. However, she had no intention of leaving until she had at least tried to plead her cause. "I need to talk to you…About our little arrangement," she added when he seemed less than thrilled. He did not need to be told twice to understand what she was talking about. However, it annoyed him that she used his own good deed against him. Or at least, that was the way he felt right then.  
  
Looking around the bridge with some apprehension, he indicated that Phoebe should follow him into his quarters. She understood the need for discretion, but was no less worried about being alone with him at this point. Not so much afraid of him, but rather of herself. More and more through this uncomfortable reunion, she was reminded of her sisters' warning. What if it was true? Then he would again try to take advantage of her feelings…Still she had not come all this way to turn back before getting what she needed. Hesitantly, she followed him, as he was already holding the door opened for her, sporting a visibly impatient expression. Phoebe also felt the stares of the other men on the bridge with embarrassment. "What might they be thinking?" She reflected, as she entered the man's room.  
  
Taking in the surroundings, she was distracted of her worries by what she found there. It was a sad place, austere and dark. When they had been offered the Captain's cabin, they had found the same lack of warmth in there. There was nothing superfluous, or to indicate a hobby of some kind, beside his duties. She wondered what kind of life he had outside of this ship, if any at all, and it saddened her. Her musings were interrupted by the gruff question:  
  
"We're alone now. What is it that you want?"  
  
Instead of answering this, she turned to him questioningly, while wondering where the man, the one who had held her in his arms only a week before, had gone.  
  
For a brief moment, as their eyes met, she thought that she saw that man again. She almost went to him, forgetting all about her request. It had been so fleeting however, that she thought she had imagined it.  
  
Cole watched her with just as much confusion as he had felt all week. For the briefest of moment, he'd dared hoping that her request was only a pretext to come to him, in spite of her sisters' obvious misgivings. However, he quashed this hope quickly, unwilling to suffer more because of her. Already, she was looking away and he simply waited, stifling himself against the disappointment that was sure to come.  
  
Phoebe finally found her voice, and from the first, it confirmed his fears.  
  
"I need something for Li. She has not been well, even with our care. I am afraid that she needs specific food that only you and the officers are afforded…"  
  
Looking back at him, she could see the hardening in his expression, even as she was describing what she needed. It painfully increased her doubts about him. It did not help that in spite of knowing this, she still felt the need for him as strongly as she had before. She waited for his answer but this one was not forthcoming.  
  
His silence only deepened her discomfort, as he was watching her intensely. As it prolonged, she decided that maybe there was no way to get through to him, and the anger swelled in her as well. Unwilling to endure this scrutiny for another moment, she moved toward the door, ready to leave.  
  
He saw her move and immediately put himself between her and the door, cracking a joyless smile that somehow chilled Phoebe. "Let me by," she uttered, cursing the tremor in her voice. "I thought that you needed something," He replied coldly. "Maybe we can find a mutually beneficial arrangement…"  
  
Phoebe took a step back, while the uneasy feeling increased.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She asked, mostly hoping that she was wrong in her conclusions… He moved toward her purposefully, and if any doubts had still lingered in her mind, these dissipated completely.  
  
"Stay away from me," she said, as she was again stepping back.  
  
"What, have you changed your mind?"  
  
"Captain, I don't know what you're talking about, but I will ask you to please let me go…" "You drive a hard bargain," Cole continued, ignoring her plea. "You got two slaves freed with a simple kiss. What will it take for you to finish what you started…?"  
  
Phoebe did not know what appalled her more: his disgusting proposition, or the fact that she could not help wanting him still…  
  
"How dare you!"  
  
He became irate again, the hardness in his voice almost palpable.  
  
"How dare YOU! You've tried to manipulate me from the first, just so that I would give you whatever you wanted. Well now, my dear, it is time for you to fulfill your part of the bargain. Then maybe, I'll consider your new request…"  
  
"You cannot mean that," she asked incredulously. No matter what she had heard or even thought for herself, she never had truly believed that he was as vile as her sisters had described. However, in the face of such an insulting attitude, not to mention scary, she had very little doubts anymore.  
  
"Mean what, exactly?" He answered with a cutting voice that chilled her anew. "You so called ladies are such hypocrites. The girls, whom do this for a living, at the very least, they do not play around. They want money and they give for it."  
  
He was coming closer as he talked, and Phoebe's heart was now racing. Against her better judgement, she did not even try to flee…  
  
"Please," she asked weakly, "please don't do this."  
  
He looked at her in such a way, that she felt he had already undressed her in his mind. "You want something from me," he said, his tone of voice having changed from angry to something much more evocative, "and I want you. I think that we really could work this out." He took the few last steps toward her faster, as she found herself against the back wall.  
  
She could feel his warm breath on her forehead now, and she was paralyzed. She wanted to push him away, but was afraid that touching him would haste the already powerful urge to let him take her.  
  
"I beg of you," she said in a trembling voice, "let me go."  
  
Until that moment, he had become certain of her treachery. Nevertheless, something in her voice reached inside of him, awaking again the desire to be loved by her. He tried very hard to push this idea away, convinced that it was simply wishful thinking. She was like all the others, manipulative. She wanted something from him, but wouldn't give anything in exchange. He wanted her so much that he felt dizzy, making it easier to quash the little voice inside. He put his hand behind her on the wall, blocking her from running away, and leaned toward her lips. Only then, did he look in her eyes and it stopped him short.  
  
All he could see there was fear, which shamed him. However, he did not want her to see how he truly felt. He pulled back, stretching his lips in an attempt at a mocking smile. "Leave now, little girl," he said suddenly. "If you can't play adult games, don't even try…" Phoebe stared at him in confusion and consternation.  
  
The vague smile vanished to be replaced once more by the hard stare.  
  
"Get out now, before I change my mind…"  
  
Phoebe felt this as a slap in the face, and it seemed to free her from the trance, as she almost ran to the door. Once there, she turned halfway, him still keeping his back to her. "I believed in you, even when my sisters were telling me otherwise. Now I know how wrong I was."  
  
She watched somewhat expectantly, but he never even flinched, and she finally went out of the room quickly with tears in her eyes.  
  
She was so upset that she did not even care about the knowing looks the men were giving her. Practically running out of the bridge, she almost went back to the cabin, when she suddenly stopped, realizing that her sisters would know right away that she was upset about something. She had no intention of answering those questions now. Hesitating, she instead turned toward the hatch to the lower deck. At this point, she believed that spending some time down there, with people unable to question her emotional state, was just what she needed.  
  
Cole was frozen in place. Her last words still echoing in his mind like a storm. "What if I was wrong," he dared thinking. "What if she was sincere in the first place?" This thought alone brought him such pain and shame that he refused it. "No," he continued for himself, "she was just trying to make you feel guilty, you fool." He had wanted so much for her to be different from the women he had known. Yet, she had acted in the same fashion, even if it was for what she thought a just cause. That still left him sad and empty, knowing, as he believed that she had felt nothing for him. Finally able to move, he went to the porthole, looking out at the calm see. This one had never betrayed him. However capricious she may have been, the sea was also a faithful mistress. Usually, this would have brought back peace to his mind. Yet, he could not help thinking back to the altercation, wondering again if he had been wrong.  
  
Nevertheless, the anger was still there, right beside the shame, preventing him from forming an opinion on the matter. Sighing, he remembered that before, he had believed her to be an honorable woman, not one to use her charms to manipulate a man like this. Now, he wondered what powerful motive could push such a woman to vilify herself so much.  
  
Could it have been those slaves? What kind of feelings were they inspiring her? "If I knew," he thought sardonically, "then maybe, just maybe, I would understand what's in her mind." Oddly enough, even as he finally returned to his post, the thought stayed with him, as he wondered how he might find out…  
  
For the next hour or so, he succeeded in putting a good face for the men, as it was easy enough for him to hide any feelings at all. Yet, inside the questions were continuously coming back. Her last words seeming so strange to him… She had believed in him, she said. Believed in what, he was asking himself? Believed that I cared anything at all for her precious slaves? And this always brought back the original question: what made her so interested in them, so willing to do even the worse for them? Deep down, he couldn't help thinking that she had come to him only because of them.  
  
At last, he could not stand this anymore. He was not usually a man to question himself or his reactions. On the contrary, until he met her, he had never doubted himself at all. More than this, he thought that this kind of mental torture was for the weak. Rather than introspection, the strong preferred action to prove their worth. Maybe this was why he made the decision to go see for himself. Leaving the bridge to an ensign, he went to his cabin and changed into civilian clothing. This seemed even stranger to him, as he rarely wore anything else but his uniform. However, for what he had in mind, his usual attire would not be appropriate.  
  
When he came back out, the men gave him passing looks, but they soon dismissed it as one more of his recent eccentricities. He went straight to the lower deck, heading for the cells, but taking care of staying out of sight. From his vantage, he could see her, with a little heartache. "So, she came here directly from the bridge, no surprise there," he thought dejectedly. She was smiling sweetly to an older man and a few kids, who were somewhat hovering around her. To see her apparently happy, just heightened his pain and longing, and he almost turned around. But then, she looked away from them, her expression almost immediately darkening. He thought that he could see sadness in her. For a moment, he wondered if he was truly responsible for this.  
  
However, even if that were a fact, then it would be all the more difficult for her to ever forgive him. And this, he preferred not to think about, not now.  
  
She stayed only a few more minutes before she left them, still unaware of his presence.  
  
Cole almost left too at this point, but then he caught sight of a strange construction against the wall that had suffered the explosion. Frowning, he looked at it more carefully, and realized that, in spite of the very tight rations that slaves received, there were bowls of food on something passing for an altar. With these were objects that obviously had been personal to a number of people. What amazed him more than anything else was to recognize a hat worn by one of the handlers who had perished during the attack.  
  
He remembered vaguely hearing how this particular sailor had seemed fonder of the slaves than the others. It was now obvious to him that this was some kind of a memorial to their dead, and it struck him more than whatever Phoebe or anyone else had done or said so far about them. For the first time, he thought of them as people, and it was a strange impression to say the least. For a long time after this, he continued observing them, watching the women seemingly in some sort of prayers at the altar.  
  
When he finally left the lower deck, his confusion had not dissipated, far from. On the contrary, he had never felt so unsure about anything in his life…  
  
When Phoebe returned to the cabin, she avoided the curious looks that her sisters cast her way. She did her best not to give away anything about her feelings on the matter, as she related only that she was not sure what the Captain would do about the supplements of food.  
  
Prue questioned dubiously. "What are you talking about? How can you not know what his answer was?" Phoebe rolled her eyes, albeit out of her sister's sight.  
  
"He would not give me a straight answer, and let's leave it at that if you don't mind." Prue still probed: "This does not make any sense Phoebe…"  
  
Piper added: "I have to agree with Prue. How can you not know? Don't you have a vague idea? And beside, what were you doing there all this time," she finally asked, very suspiciously.  
  
Obviously, it had been the real question that was on their lips. Phoebe supposed that they were waiting for her to make some kind of confession.  
  
"If you must know, I was in the lower deck most of that time, and now, I have enough of this questioning. I am tired and will retire for a while. If you have to, speculate to your hearts content, but do it without me."  
  
On this, she abruptly turned away from them, leaving both her sisters with their mouths opened and no answers. Prue turned to Piper with a totally dumbfounded expression. "What has gotten into her?"  
  
"I am afraid that she still has some feelings for that Captain. Maybe now, however, it will be easier for her to forget, if she finally figured out how he truly is?"  
  
"Let's hope…" Prue replied distractedly.  
  
She had returned her gaze toward the alcove, and wondered if she should do something. Piper could see where this was going.  
  
"Prue, I do think that Phoebe should be allowed to work this out on her own. If she needs us, we will be there for her." Prue nodded, but only half- convinced.  
  
In the alcove, just as she had told her sisters, Phoebe lied down on her temporary cot. Li and Kari, her mother, she knew now, were very discreet even with the terrible discomfort that the pain caused Li.  
  
They had not been there long enough to understand a word of the conversation, but they were intuitive enough to feel the tension in their benefactor's voice. They simply gave her space, somehow knowing that it was what she needed at the moment.  
  
Phoebe had even managed to sleep for a little while, but as soon as she woke up, her disappointment and pain returned stronger than before. Until that moment, she had refused to dwell on what happened. Now however, she remembered everything vividly, particularly her own mixed feelings. She could not believe that in the face of such rudeness, she had still felt like being with him. He was the monster that she had assumed at first, so how could she feel like this?  
  
In a way, she was angrier with herself than he. After all, she had been forewarned about him. She had simply not wanted to believe it. When she got up, it was almost dinnertime, and she heard the knock at the door that announced it. Without great enthusiasm, she looked herself up, and then moved out of the alcove. There, she found something totally unexpected. The rations that they usually received were generous, but never contained the products that she had alluded to. There, she found cheeses and a selection of fruits that were obviously not part of their regular meal.  
  
Prue again turned questioningly toward her sister, more suspicious even than before. "Well, it would seem that we have the answer to our question right here," she said, after the steward had left.  
  
Phoebe was simply astounded. In spite of what she had told her sister, she had not believed for a moment that he would give her what she asked for. In that instant, she dared hope however fleetingly that she had been wrong about him. Still, the memories of the afternoon came rushing back to her, and she soon assumed that it was some attempt at bringing her to him. And this, for a purpose that she did not want to think about…  
  
She decided right then that she would not go thank him for it, as she saw some sinister meaning in it. Nevertheless, she was still grateful for the food, and hoped that the supplements would continue to arrive regularly.  
  
  
  
The following days proved that it was not going to be a one time occurrence, since every night the meals came with the same surplus. The only problem for Phoebe was to endure the suspicious stares of not only her sisters, but also the meaningful expression that the steward harbored almost every night when bringing the meal to them. She had no doubt on what they were all thinking, knowing that the Captain had most certainly made the request personally, and that her sisters found the whole thing utterly strange coming from a man like him.  
  
Neither Prue, nor Piper, the steward and probably not the staff in the galley, believed that he was doing this out of the goodness of his heart. This made it harder for Phoebe. Of course, she knew that she had done nothing wrong. At least, not in fact… But that did not make her feel more comfortable when facing her sisters' scrutiny.  
  
No matter how many times they asked however, she never told them what had happened that afternoon.  
  
Soon, Li benefited from the new diet, obviously getting better. She even helped, now able to move around as if she had never been sick. Phoebe was amazed at how quickly she had recuperated. But she was not about to tell the Captain about it either. She was convinced that if she was returned to the cells, her health would deteriorate rapidly again. At least, it gave her more time to take care of the others, and she applied herself at it zealously, as in those moments she could forget the pain and embarrassment that she had to live with every day.  
  
Meanwhile, Cole had been doing some introspection of his own. That first night and the following ones, he had decided that in doubts, he should at least agree to what she asked for. He never expected her to thank him for it, not after what happened. Whatever her motivations were, she now had what she wanted. So, either way he doubted that she would ever even want to talk to him again.  
  
On the other hand, that first insight into the life of the slaves had awakened a surprising curiosity in him. Almost every day afterward, he returned there, although careful to be there only when he was certain that she was not. The first few times, he just spent some time observing them from afar. However, one evening, he felt the need to see them up close with the newfound perspective that he had acquired. First, he went to the watchman and claimed a set of keys for keep. He knew of course that they would notice his coming around, but made sure that the man understood that discretion was in order. The sailor did not argue with his Captain, as he knew that Captain Turner was not one to be contradicted or questioned. Many had paid a heavy price for doing this.  
  
In fact, many of the sailors were amazed that the first officer was still in place and in one piece, after the number of times that they had witnessed rebellion on his part. They chalked it to the definitely strange new attitude that the Captain harbored during this trip, however. Once convinced that the guard would keep his mouth shut, Cole returned toward the cell. There, however, he still hesitated. He had not brought his pistol along, maybe wanting to see what it felt like, just like she did.  
  
Still, now about to enter this place, he felt naked without it, worried that the slaves would take their frustrations on him, which would have been understandable he now knew. Still, in the civilian clothing, a dark turtleneck and pants, he felt even more exposed, denied the relative protection of his offices.  
  
He moved toward the cell anyway, only bringing in a flask of rum with him. He took a long sip, then resolutely opened the door and entered the cell, while trying to look infinitely more confident than he felt.  
  
After closing the cell door behind him, he just stood stiffly there, watching the people inside, as they were observing him in turn. Again, as he thought that he recognized some hostility, he cursed himself for not having the pistol. Clutching the flask, he waited nervously, not knowing what exactly he should do from then on. While waiting, he wondered how she felt the first time that she had come in here. Was she worried like him, or did she simply trust these people implicitly. That last proposition seemed very unlikely from his point of view.  
  
Suddenly, he became aware of an older man approaching him cautiously. The man looked just as wary as Cole felt, yet he did not make any aggressive gesture, so that Cole let him get closer without reacting.  
  
The old man stopped in front of him, now apparently looking him up and down, which made Cole very uncomfortable. Then he extended his hand toward him and Cole reacted by lifting his arm in front of him as a pitiful defense, he knew. The old man took a step back nervously, and Cole somehow understood that he had not meant any ill.  
  
Relaxing, he put down his arm and tried to give the man as warm a look as he could make himself. The old man seemed to appreciate, as he came closer again, and this time, when he extended his hand toward him, Cole did not react. He was surprised however to feel the flask being tugged upon.  
  
Cole gathered that the man wanted to know what was in it, and even if he had his doubts, he handed the flask to the old man, who gingerly opened it and then put it to his lips. At the first sip, the man opened big eyes and soon started coughing loudly.  
  
A few other black people began paying closer attention to them, and the fear returned fully for Cole, as he worried about their reaction. He observed the old man warily, expecting him to call to the others against him.  
  
Instead, this one, once he had stopped coughing, opened his mouth in what seemed an amused smile. Turning back toward the inside of the cell, he lifted the flask and began talking in that guttural tongue that Cole had heard before, but somehow never thought of as an actual language. He realized how stupid that was then, but now was not the time to dwell on his shortcomings.  
  
He watched, still apprehensive, as many more men, younger, approached in turn. However, he saw that the old man was obviously describing the content of the flask, as he was showing it off ostensibly.  
  
Some of them each in turn took sips rather unceremoniously, and from the lack of adverse reaction, Cole guessed that they also had some kind of spirit in their jungle. Obviously not this rum, but still…  
  
Having emptied the flask and obviously their curiosity, the men started back toward the center of the room, among the others. Cole began to think that his visit would have been a short one, when the old man gestured for him to follow.  
  
This, he had not anticipated. He hesitated at length before walking slowly behind him. There, they offered him to sit among them, and to his amazement, some of their food. The meal seemed rather frugal to him obviously. Yet, he took some of it and felt strangely good at that point. Him, who never even shared a meal with his officers, was now sitting on the floor of slave's cell, with his own prisoners, and somehow managed to enjoy himself.  
  
That night, he returned to his quarters with mixed feelings. He might have been tempted to think that those people were somewhat stupid to accept their own jailer among them as a friend. Yet, he could not think like that. He had felt a warmth among them that he could not remember feeling ever before. Their simple ways were refreshing and not in the least threatening. They did not even need to understand what he was saying, but only to enjoy his company, or so it seemed.  
  
Many times in the next two weeks, he found himself back there, even managing to teach them a few simple games. He never went there with his uniform however, and brought rum every time, to the obvious delight of a few younger men.  
  
Phoebe was somewhat confounded. For the last two weeks, every day she had half-expected to see him come in and to demand some kind of compensation for his continuous honoring of her request. Yet, he had not showed up, nor sent anyone to request her presence at any moment.  
  
Oddly, this disappointed her. Every night or so, she watched her older sister slipping out of the cabin, no doubt to rejoin with Mr. McKail. This shocked her somewhat, but not as much as she would have thought. After all, she could not in all conscience be angry with Prue for this, knowing the nature of her own fantasies too well. Even now, she still had those thoughts, even more so that he did not seem to care anymore. Phoebe had always been one to go against the flow. What bothered her was that in spite of Prue's passionate nature, she had always been the responsible one among them. The one that was an example to her sisters… Yet, now, she was being wild and acted totally against conventions…  
  
That night, Phoebe could not find sleep and she heard her sister slipping out once more. For some reason, she felt like following her, she had no idea why herself, other than she needed some distraction, and maybe to make Prue feel a little like she did.  
  
Rapidly getting a vest, she went after her, as she knew which way she was most certainly going. Outside, she indeed saw her sister already on her way down the hatch and she followed her, taking care of staying out of sight.  
  
Even as she was going down the stairs herself, she already knew how ridiculous she was. Maybe it was all the frustration of the last few weeks that had provoked such a juvenile idea. By the time that she got to the bottom, she also realized how reckless she was. It was already late, and although she did not fear the slaves, with whom she spent so much time, she did fear the sailors, very aware that these might find that a wandering woman at night was somehow asking for trouble.  
  
This late at night, she had expected the place to be very quiet. Yet, just as she had made up her mind to turn back, her attention was attracted by laughter, or what she thought was laughter, coming from the direction of the cell. This might have constituted the very threat that she had feared, but she could not help being curious, and cautiously, she walked toward the sounds. When she came in sight of the cells, she saw that a white man was among the slaves, and when she recognized the man, she almost revealed herself, as she gasped in surprise…  
  
Stepping back in the shadow, she found a way to observe the most astonishing spectacle. Captain Turner was sitting among the black people, or more specifically, he seemed to be playing some kind of dice game with a few of the men. But what really astounded her was to see him smile and even laugh. She had never seen him so relaxed, even that day on the deck when they had kissed. If she had not seen his face, she would have never believed it. She stood there, totally transfixed, watching him passing around a flask of what was obviously some kind of hard liquor, and her face contorted in an amused frown.  
  
This lasted for over an hour, while she could not make herself leave. She waited, just like she knew he had that day before the attack. Phoebe felt it wrong to spy in this manner, but she could not help it. It was actually more fun than she had in a long time. Her pleasure was however slightly shadowed by the very fact that he seemed so much happier with them, while he had never been like this with her.  
  
When he finally came out of the cell, she waited only until he was out of sight and followed him in the darker hallway. "So, I see that you are corrupting this poor people?" Not knowing too well what to say to him at this point in time, she had chosen this little crack.  
  
He became very still, seemingly wondering if he had dreamt the voice.  
  
Phoebe got impatient when he did not say anything or turned to her.  
  
"So, are you?" She asked again, trying to get a reaction out of him. This time, he knew that he was not dreaming. What's more, in spite of the slight reproach, Cole thought that he heard amusement in her voice. How could she be there? However, he was done questioning himself, but still very reluctant to face her. In the last few weeks, he had learned a lot. Among other things, that his actions toward her had been totally unforgivable. However painful it had been for him to accept it, he had made up his mind that he could not hope for her to ever want to talk to him again.  
  
And now, like a miracle, she was there. He did not dare look back, or even to say a word, for fear that she would go away again.  
  
Perplexed, Phoebe moved closer, wondering if something was wrong now.  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
"Do you really care," he finally asked, with a slightly broken voice that she could barely recognize. "If you mean by that, am I still angry with you? Yes, a little…"  
  
He frowned unhappily, but somehow felt more at ease, since this seemed more real.  
  
Turning toward her, he tried to apologize:  
  
"I wanted to tell you…"  
  
However, she interrupted:  
  
"What was that?" She asked, nodding toward the cell. "That?"  
  
"Yes, you. Them; and you playing with them? How long have you been having this double life?" He was startled by her question, but saw that she still had this amused look about her. "Not very long to tell the truth…"  
  
More seriously this time, she probed further:  
  
"How do you reconcile playing with them, and at the same time being the one delivering them into slavery?"  
  
He sighed, as the question had been coming to his mind more than once in the last two weeks. "I do not. I have no idea on what to do next…"  
  
His totally genuine answer just finished to convince her that she must have mistaken him for someone else. "Are you sure that you did not bump your head and somehow became a new person," she asked aloud.  
  
This brought a weak smile to his lips and she thought that he suddenly looked charming. Why couldn't he smile more?  
  
"Would that be good or bad?"  
  
Phoebe let herself smile as well.  
  
"From where I stand, it would very good indeed."  
  
He stood silent for a moment longer and she saw a shadow pass across his features.  
  
"Will you ever forgive me?"  
  
Her smile vanished, as she contemplated her answer.  
  
"I am not sure yet. I mean," she added quickly, seeing him frown, "a lot has happened, and I haven't had the chance to make sense of it."  
  
A heavy silence fell between them, as they seemed lost in their own thoughts.  
  
After a moment, Cole offered somewhat hesitantly: "Can I walk you back to your cabin?" She looked at him with a questioning stare, as if wondering what if anything he might be planning.  
  
Seeing this, he added: "I promise you that I won't do anything to displease you."  
  
She was still biting her lips, uncertain if she should trust him again. She had been disappointed twice already. However, he seemed so sincere that she decided to give him a chance. In the back of her mind, she had to admit that she wanted it to be the truth.  
  
She simply came by his side, although still keeping her distance somewhat. He respected this, worried that any gesture might be construed as inappropriate. They kept silent all the way to the cabin, where he was again worried that this interlude would never happen again.  
  
Phoebe was watching him, wondering what to say or do that might not provoke the wrong outcome. It was much too soon for them to go any further than this, or so she thought…  
  
More than once, he was about to say something but stopped himself.  
  
Nothing that he could think of would do. Still, neither one seemed willing to leave, as the silence prolonged while they simply waited, casting each other intense looks, then turning away with uncertainty. Who knows how much longer this would have lasted if a piercing scream, coming from inside the cabin, had not caught both their attention? 


	8. Eye of the Storm (Chapter 8)

Eye of the Storm  
  
1 Chapter VIII  
  
  
  
Piper woke up with a start, almost shaking at hearing the agonizing scream coming from the next room. She looked at the cot where her older sister usually slept, and was not at all surprised to see it empty. For the last few weeks, she had spent most of her nights out. Piper had been thinking of commenting on this, but had not found the right way just yet. All of this flashed quickly in her mind as she rushed to the alcove, fully expecting to find her younger sister with the black women.  
  
There, she saw that something had changed with them, as Li was very agitated, her face contorted in pain. Her mother was simply holding her hand with a very frightened expression. Looking around, she realized that Phoebe had deserted the cabin as well with some wonderment.  
  
She was pondering this when the next scream brought her back to the situation at hand. From where she stood, it was obvious that the labor must have started. Although a natural process, it still scared her. She had no idea on what she should do. She worried as well about the undue attention that the girl' screams might bring to them.  
  
In spite of her apprehensions, she went to the girl's side, and tried her best to calm her down. Both the older sisters had counted on Phoebe being the one communicating with them at this point, and she was not certain that whatever gesture she might use would work. Indeed, the girl seemed even more nervous, casting worried looks to the empty cot between each wave of pain.  
  
This lasted at least an hour, during which Piper's anxiety did not diminish in the least. Li had not screamed this loud again, telling Piper that she had understood the necessity for discretion. The little she knew of childbirth was that it could take a long time. At least, that was another good thing, as she truly hoped that her sisters would be back for the big moment. However, the look on Li's mother, Kari, told Piper that there might be more problems than she had thought. Kari was becoming very agitated, not knowing how to express her worries to Piper and this one was just about as nervous, seeing that Li's pain intensified by the moment.  
  
Kari was now palpating her daughter's belly even more apprehensively and that did it for Piper. She had to find at least one of her sisters, and quickly. What's more, she remembered about the need for hot water and clean cloths, which she still had to fetch.  
  
She got up, and was already on her way out of the alcove when Li's mother called back to her in her strange language. Piper could not understand a word of it of course, but she most certainly noticed the edge in her voice. She turned to her and gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile before rushing out, increasingly worried. She did not have to go far, however…  
  
Just as she was about to open the door, she cringed at the renewed scream coming from the alcove. She was so upset about it that she almost bumped into Phoebe, this one rushing in.  
  
As soon as Piper saw her, she uttered nervously:  
  
"Where the hell were you? I was stuck in here, and both you and Prue had deserted us!"  
  
Phoebe shrugged, just as nervously. "Never mind that, what is going on?"  
  
Piper cast another worried look behind her before answering:  
  
"Well, obviously, I think that our little protégé is having her baby, but I believe there might be some complications…"  
  
Phoebe just pinched her lips anxiously before walking fast toward the alcove, leaving Piper to face the Captain.  
  
She most certainly had not expected this. Not after Phoebe had gone out of her way to avoid him lately. Although she never said, Piper had guessed that something very bad had gone on between them. She had no doubts that his good deed had come to a high price, which caused her to give him a dirty look as soon as she was back from the surprise. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a clearly angry edge to her voice.  
  
Instead of answering this however, he looked back and forth, as if worried about being seen. That reminded Piper not only of the purpose she had been going out for, but also of the risk they were all in at the moment. She had already begun to worry about discovery earlier, when Li had screamed. After a while, and when no one had come, she had relaxed somewhat. However, now her fear was renewed by the obvious concern on the Captain's face.  
  
Forgetting all about how upset she was with him, she decided that he might as well be of use. This decision at least helped her focus, and the fear seemed to slip away for the moment. "We need clean cloths and hot water, can you provide that?" She asked curtly.  
  
Her tone of voice or maybe the strangeness of being apparently ordered around snapped him out of his uncertainty.  
  
"I am the Captain of this ship, not a medic," he answered, but he did so almost mechanically. Even he at this point thought that his pride was ridiculous.  
  
"Right now," Piper replied impatiently, "you are the only who can help us. After all," she added with a point of irritation, "you are the one who insisted that we told no one else."  
  
He was about to protest further, but thought better of it. In a way, he was glad to have something to occupy himself rather than debate what he was really doing there. He would have plenty of time later to wonder about that.  
  
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. But for god sake, keep her silent. The whole ship will soon know where she is the way she's going. And then, the real trouble will start…"  
  
Piper snidely remarked. "Trouble for you."  
  
He eyed her severely at this. "Young Lady, you should know better. These men are not children. If they feel that their Captain has faltered in any way, there will be trouble enough to go around…"  
  
Piper shrugged hesitantly, unsure if this warning was real, or just some manipulation on his part. "If you're going to help," she added then, "now would be a good time." Not paying him any attention anymore, she turned back toward the alcove. Cole hesitated only a few more seconds, and then went to fetch what she asked for. Unfortunately, he realized almost immediately that his fears had been founded. The watchman was coming his way, obviously alerted by the latest screams of the slave.  
  
Cole looked back toward the cabin, wondering if they would succeed in keeping her quiet. Then he turned resolutely toward the watchman, who was coming fast.  
  
Closing the gap between them, he stopped abruptly in front of the man.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked him, thinking that the best solution was to show authority at this point.  
  
"Captain? Sir? I did not recognize you. I heard screams coming from around here. I was just coming to check it out."  
  
Cole stayed impassible while answering: "I was here and heard nothing of the sort. You must've heard whales. Just go back to your post."  
  
The watchman hesitated. He did not want to contradict the Captain, but he was so certain of what he heard. "Sir, I know what whales sound like…"  
  
Cole changed attitude right then. "And I don't?"  
  
The man stood at attention, alerted by the coldness in his Captain's voice.  
  
"Of course you do, sir…I'm sorry."  
  
Cole fixed him for a long moment, and then continued firmly:  
  
"Just do what you're told."  
  
"Yes sir!" The watchman turned on his heels and retreated to his post in a hurry. He was still certain of what he heard, but he was not willing to go against the Captain.  
  
Cole stood stiffly for a moment longer, and then took a deep breath. Hardly enough, he had felt a hint of fear just now… What would happen if they understood what he had done? He had kept a strong and steady discipline on his ship ever since he had become her Captain. Now, he was the one breaking his own rules. Guilt was not what troubled him however, because by now, he was certain that he had done the right thing. It was mostly the fear of losing what he had worked for all his life that did. As he moved on to finish the errand he had started on, he could not help wondering if his career was coming to an end… As he was approaching the galley however, his concerns receded rapidly. Oddly enough, he realized then that it did not matter as much as it used to…  
  
Phoebe felt slightly overwhelmed by the situation. It was one thing to know what would eventually happen, but another to be faced with it. The poor girl seemed in such pain. And even to her inexperienced eye, it did seem too much pain to be perfectly normal… Kari had found something for Li to bite on, which was keeping the noise level lower now, but the tense features of the young girl worried Phoebe. Even more so, the fact that Kari was very agitated, while indicating her daughter's belly worriedly. It took a moment for Phoebe to understand what she was so upset about, but when she believed that she had understood, her eyes widened in fear.  
  
Piper, who had rejoined them a while ago, did not fail to notice her sister's expression. "What did she say? What is it?"  
  
Phoebe turned to her nervously. "I can't be sure of course, but it looks like the baby is not coming because it's in the wrong position. Kari seems to fear for both their lives…" They turned toward Li with apprehension.  
  
Cole was finally returning after having realized that he did not know enough about the inner workings of his vessel. It had taken him much longer than he anticipated rounding up the water and cloths. Even boiling the water had been somewhat of a challenge. Now, back to the cabin, after he had thankfully managed to stay out of sight from his men, he went straight to the alcove. There, he stopped short, feeling ill at ease in the face of this feminine event. He almost turned back, but Phoebe spotted him and came to him quickly. "Captain, we need your help…"  
  
He looked behind her with a certain embarrassment, not knowing what else he could possibly be needed for. However, when she began talking, he stared at her incredulously. "We need the medic. Li is having serious complications, I'm afraid."  
  
"You can't be serious! If he learns of her presence here…"  
  
Phoebe almost stomped her foot at that.  
  
"It's her life that's on the line; not just your career!"  
  
His head snapped back toward her, as he stared down at her angrily. He obviously had not liked her accusatory tone of voice, and Phoebe was tempted to take a step back. Nevertheless, she stood her ground, staring at him decisively. For a long moment, they did just that. Then she saw him falter, maybe realizing what she had meant, or so she hoped. He looked at the slave with obvious indecision.  
  
"Are you certain that it's necessary?"  
  
Her voice softened when she answered: "Yes I am."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"So be it!" He said, looking back at her. She saw that all trace of anger had vanished. In its place, she thought that she recognized shame, to her utter surprise. His next words just plain floored her: "I am sorry, you're right of course."  
  
Barely looking at her, he turned around and walked away, while she found herself speechless. However, a new muffled scream coming from the alcove brought her back to the problem at hand, and then she decided that she would think about this later.  
  
Leo was walking on the deck when the watchman signaled to him. He had tried in vain to sleep, and thought that a little walk would help, but he was not very happy to be stuck with some ship's problem. Reluctantly, he went toward the man that he knew as sailor Richardson. He remembered him well, although, he was certain that the Captain had totally forgotten about him. He was one of the two men who had received lashes for that stupid fight before they left England. The man did not lose time, for as soon as Leo was close enough, he began talking: "Sir, I need to talk to you about the Captain…"  
  
Already, Leo did not like the turn this conversation was taking. He might not have been an example as far as discipline went, but speaking about the Captain behind his back was not something that he had planned to do. He mostly preferred to keep his thoughts for himself.  
  
Still, he wondered what the man had to say and just nodded encouragingly.  
  
"Earlier, I heard screams coming from aft, near the Captain's cabin. Where those girls live now…?"  
  
"What do you mean, screams?" Leo asked, suddenly anxious.  
  
"Like real screams of pain. And when I went to check up on it, the Captain stopped me…"  
  
Leo gave him a doubtful expression. He could not help wondering if that man was not seeking some kind of revenge, as small as it was, on the Captain. Still, this thing about the screams worried him more and more as he thought about it. What if one of the girls was hurt, and in the back of his mind, he thought, what if he did something to them. The thought was a terrible one, but it simply jumped in his mind. "What did the Captain tell you exactly," he asked intensely.  
  
"He said that I must have been mistaken, like that the screams must have been whale's songs. But I know the difference, and I'm sure that this was not coming from a whale…"  
  
Leo barely let him finish before he rushed toward the cabin. All the way, he was imagining what he would do to Captain Turner, had he hurt one of them.  
  
His fears seemed to be confirmed when he saw Cole walking quickly toward the cabin, accompanied by the medic. Without thinking, he rushed even faster and caught up with them before they had reached the stairs. Immediately, he grabbed the Captain by the shoulders and twisted him around to face him. Cole was so surprised that he did not react at first. He was dumbfounded to see his first officer's expression. This one almost had murder in his eyes. Before he could place a word, Leo began screaming: "What did you do to them? Are you trying to cover your tracks?"  
  
His tone of voice was rising for every word and Cole thought that he was almost hysterical. He raised a hand with authority toward him, but it just made Leo more upset. "You bloody monster, I should have known what you were from the first atrocity you performed. How dare you lift a hand on the women?"  
  
This time, Cole had enough. He did not know where this all came from, but he was not going to be insulted like this without reacting.  
  
He punched him hard, sending him flying backward and falling roughly on the deck's floor. Then, remembering the medic, he sent him on his way, this before going to pick up the first officer. He held his fist over the man's face, barely containing himself. "This time, Mr. Wyatt, you've gone too far. If I was not curious as to what brought you to that ludicrous conclusion, I would throw you over board right now."  
  
Leo was still reeling from the first hit and he did not really pay attention to what the Captain was saying. All he could think about was that for some reason the Captain might have hurt Piper, and as soon as he had found his breath, he counterattacked, hitting Cole as hard as he could in the stomach. Cole lost his breath in turn, almost folding in two from the blow. Leo took advantage and hit him again, in the face this time. The third time however, he did not get to make contact, as Cole blocked him, and then pushed him away roughly.  
  
Cole then took a moment to recuperate, but his anger had swollen too much for him to be reasonable anymore. He went after Leo with a vengeance. Rather than hitting him with his fist, this time he rushed him, sending both men falling down on the deck. They started to roll and hit each other repeatedly, seemingly with the intent of finishing each other off.  
  
That is when Paul and Prue came out of the lower deck, witnessing this incredible display. Paul hesitated a moment, unsure if he should intervene. However, he was not about to watch them kill each other and do nothing. He signaled for Prue to stay behind, while he ran toward the two men. Once there, he got a hold of Cole, who was on top at the time, and pulled hard on him, putting some distance between the two combatants. He only avoided being hit in turn by a hair, as Cole turned on him suddenly, his eyes flaring with anger.  
  
"Captain, what's the matter with you?" Paul asked very loud, trying to get through to him. Leo was slowly getting up and moving toward them. Cole tried to shrug Paul Off of him, but both men were of equal strength and Paul had not been fighting until now, so that he had an advantage on him.  
  
Leo was coming closer, obviously intent on using the Captain's temporary disability, but Paul saw him in time, and simply pushed the Captain behind him, casting rapid looks between the two men.  
  
"Ok now, what is the matter with both of you?" Leo almost screamed in his face:  
  
"That is not of your bloody business, get out of the way!"  
  
Paul saw the blind rage in the man's expression and worried slightly. However, he was not a man to be intimidated so easily.  
  
"I make it my business when people are trying to kill each other in front of me. What the hell has gotten into you," he asked firmly.  
  
His tone of voice seemed to have a mild effect on Leo, as he stopped advancing on them. "HE got into me. He hurt one of the girls…"  
  
Paul was now looking back suspiciously toward the Captain, but this one seemed dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? Are you insane?"  
  
Leo was not going to be deterred so easily. "You were trying to cover your tracks, but you didn't do a good enough job of it." He turned toward Paul, trying to impress on him. "He turned away the watchman, who heard the screams, and then went for the medic, no doubts with orders to keep his mouth shut. Lord knows what he's done to them."  
  
Prue had heard enough, and although she wondered seriously about Cole, another possibility came to her mind. Rushing back to the cabin, she left the men to work this out between them.  
  
Cole was now outraged. "Have you lost your mind, Mr. Wyatt? Why would I want to hurt any of them?" Leo took one more threatening step.  
  
"Probably because you didn't get what you wanted. Everyone knows the kind of man that you are." Paul had to restrain Cole again, as he almost managed to go passed him. Cole could not believe it. After all that he had been through, now that he had finally seen the light so to speak, that was when his first officer accused him openly. Of course, he had always known that Leo doubted his good character, but this really was beyond outrageous.  
  
Still, he did not feel like defending himself to Leo, not while he could feel every spot where the man had hit him painfully. It took him everything that he had in him not to try and go after him again. Paul sensed that the situation was still very explosive, but he knew that there had to be an explanation. In fact, just like Prue, hearing of the medic had given him another perspective, and the outraged expression on the Captain's face seemed to confirm this.  
  
Still staying between them, Paul turned halfway toward Cole and questioned:  
  
"Is it what I think it is?" Cole was still staring angrily at Leo, but he peeled his eyes from the man to acquiesce warily.  
  
"I would say so… And Mr. Wyatt, here," he spat, "seems to have assumed the worst immediately."  
  
Leo frowned, suddenly unsure. "What are you two talking about?"  
  
Paul saw that he was better to do the talking, as the Captain was still too agitated. Nevertheless, he knew that this would blow the secret out of the water and he gave a questioning look at the Captain first. This one shrugged and nodded in the affirmative.  
  
"Mr. Wyatt," Paul began calmly, "there is something that has been kept from you these past few weeks, I'm afraid."  
  
This time, Leo's curiosity was picked. He had been wondering for a while already. For the last two weeks, he had been kept out of the cabin, and if Piper had not been just as loving and friendly as before, he might have thought that she had a change of heart. Every time that he had tried to talk to her about it, she had given excuses that were increasingly far- fetched.  
  
When he saw that he finally had the man's attention, Paul pursued.  
  
"You see Mr. Wyatt, I'm sure that you heard of the slight discrepancy in the slaves' count?"  
  
Leo's curiosity intensified, as he had indeed heard of it, along with some rather fantastic explanations on the men's part.  
  
"Well, there was a reason for it. Unbeknown to almost everyone on this ship, the two missing slaves have been staying in the cabin with the girls…"  
  
Leo was flabbergasted. He did not know what surprised him most. The fact that they had managed to keep this a secret so long; or the fact that the Captain had obviously been aware of it… He looked at his superior with an intense astonishment.  
  
While Paul was explaining the situation to Leo, Cole had time to calm down somewhat, and although he was still very upset with his first officer, he sort of understood where the man had come from. As a matter of fact, he reflected that if he had thought that someone might have hurt Phoebe, he would have reacted in the same manner. Probably worse…  
  
Finally, Leo realized what was really happening:  
  
"You are saying that this girl is having a baby right now?"  
  
"Well, it is pretty likely, yes."  
  
As if to prove his point, they heard another loud scream. Obviously, the girl had not been able to stop herself this time. It gave the three men a chill.  
  
Warily, the three of them made their way to the cabin, worried all for their own personal reasons. For his part, Cole wondered if the medic had found out what was wrong with Li.  
  
In the cabin itself, Prue was standing at the alcove's entrance, watching intensely. She barely noticed the men at first, but as she looked back, she saw that the three of them were together, and although the Captain and Leo were obviously worse for wear, they were not fighting anymore. Seeing this, she returned her attention to the young girl, who seemed even more in pain, if possible.  
  
Although the three men were just as curious about the situation, it was Paul who asked the question that was on all their lips: "What is happening?"  
  
Prue moved back toward them, just as the girl screamed anew, although, this time it was obviously muffled. They all guessed that she must have been biting into something.  
  
"I think that the baby was not in the right position, but your medic," she said turning to the Captain, "has managed to turn it."  
  
He looked behind her, wondering what was really going on in there.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And I think that it won't be long anymore…"  
  
As if on cue, they heard one last scream, and then a baby's cries. Hesitantly, the men followed Prue, who was now rushing back toward the alcove. Births were a woman's business usually, but Cole in particular, felt somewhat involved into this one. Maybe more for a selfish motive however. He was certain that the day he helped Phoebe with Li, had been a big step in his altering his life, albeit with many setbacks, he admitted to himself painfully.  
  
When he got close enough, he stopped and watched in amazement. In spite of the obvious pain she had been in before, Li was now smiling widely to the small infant cradled in her arms. The medic had stepped away, giving space to the girls, whom were watching Li with the same happy smiles. Looking at them, he felt wellbeing like he had never experienced in his life. For a moment, he was completely at peace. Then, Phoebe looked his way, and in that instant, he knew that he had found the angel that he had been looking for all this time. Maybe it was the exhilaration of this birth, but in that instant, she had never looked more precious to him. She was obviously tired, but her eyes shone with life and affection. However, her expression changed after a moment, seemingly out of concern. Looking one last time toward the mother and child, she moved toward him with a frown.  
  
It was not until she spoke that he realized what had motivated the change in her attitude. If at first this had worried him, her first words reassured him immediately: "My god, Captain, what happened to you?"  
  
She was close now, her fingers almost touching him as she was indicating his cheek, which indeed felt painful at the moment.  
  
He understood that she was making reference to the marks left by the fight, but was unwilling to talk about it just yet. "Don't worry, it's nothing," he replied with a smile. "It doesn't look like nothing…"  
  
That was also when she caught sight of Leo and things became clearer, although she didn't have the faintest idea of what had provoked them…  
  
Looking back toward Cole, she saw him grimace in pain, even if he had tried to keep it from her. "You are hurt pretty bad…" she said with such concern that once more his heart melted. Forgetting all about Leo, his accusations, the pain; he saw only her. He wanted so much to be with her, to take her in his arms and never let her go. "Please let me help you?" she was saying, as he felt her light touch on his face.  
  
He gazed at her gratefully.  
  
"I'll be fine, I promise. I'm sure that you'll be needed here," he added regretfully. "I should be going…"  
  
For a moment, he thought that he saw disappointment in her eyes, but he did not dare hoping for too much. He had been so enthralled by her and the birth of the baby, that only now, he considered the consequences of all that happened. The medic was watching his officers with a very curious expression. Cole knew that it would not be the end of this. What's more, he met his first officer's eyes, as he turned to leave, and realized the depth of trouble that the next day would bring. Yet, at this moment, he simply refused to be concerned by this.  
  
Leo tried to say something, but Cole dismissed him, moving passed him toward the door. Once outside, he took a deep breath and lingered there, wondering why he had not stayed, but knowing deep down that the answer to that was simple enough.  
  
In spite of all the problems that he could see coming, that was not what bothered him at this point. He had already made so many mistakes with her, he was afraid that one more would be the last, if it was not too late. Looking back longingly at the cabin's door, he sighed, and then went down the steps heavily. He had almost made his way to the bridge, when he got sidetracked by what he recognized as whales' songs. For real this time, he thought, slightly amused in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Instead of going up to the bridge, he went toward the rail, listening intently to the sounds coming from the sea nearby. He was so concentrated on this that he did not hear the steps coming toward him. He almost jumped out of his skin at her voice. "What is that?"  
  
He turned halfway, as she came to lean against the rail.  
  
"Whales…"  
  
Phoebe tried to distinguish something in the dark but could see nothing.  
  
"It's so beautiful, almost haunting."  
  
"Makes you wonder what they're thinking…"  
  
She knew as well as he did that he was not talking about the whales.  
  
They kept silent a moment longer, simply listening.  
  
She caught him holding his side for a short moment and turned toward him:  
  
"You won't tell me what happened?"  
  
He went on staring at the sea, while answering:  
  
"I would've thought that you would know by now. Didn't Leo or Paul tell you?"  
  
She could hear the slight bitterness in his voice. Her hand went almost of its own up to his face, as she tried to get him to look at her.  
  
The light touch of her fingers had been enough to reawaken the desire in him, and he resisted painfully the urge to take her hand and kiss it.  
  
"I didn't want them to tell me, I wanted to hear it from you."  
  
She delicately pulled his face toward her. She was smiling sweetly, not at all angry or worried. On the contrary, for the first time since that first night when they had kissed, she looked happy to be with him.  
  
"You really have to tell me," she was insisting.  
  
"It's not important anymore."  
  
Her fingers left his face and he felt cold suddenly.  
  
She sighed, and as she turned away, she uttered:  
  
"Well, good night then."  
  
He frowned, afraid that once more he had scared her away.  
  
"Miss Halliwell," he called anxiously.  
  
She stopped and turned back.  
  
"Phoebe, you can call me Phoebe…"  
  
"Phoebe," he said then, almost savoring the name. "Please don't go…"  
  
She waited, while he walked toward her, his eyes locked with hers. His hand went hesitantly to her hair, which he caressed lightly, simply overjoyed that she was not running away.  
  
He let his hand slide behind her head, pulling her slowly toward him. Their lips were almost close enough to touch, but once more he hesitated, trembling for the need of her, and yet so afraid that it all would go away if he acted upon it.  
  
This time, she was the one who closed the gap, pressing her lips against his, searching, wanting, and he stopped fighting. Pulling her tight to him, he gave in to his desire only to find that hers was just as strong. He could not breathe, nor think… All he could feel was the touch of her lips, the warmth of her mouth, her breasts against his chest.  
  
When his mouth left hers, she gasped for air. She could feel his heart racing madly as he held her close.  
  
She opened her eyes to find him watching her, just as out of breath as she was.  
  
"Phoebe, I…If you want me to stop…"  
  
She knew that it was not what he wanted. At this point, she hesitated however. As much as she wanted him, she had to worry about what would happen next. So many misunderstandings had plagued their relationship…  
  
"I want this too," she began, in a whisper, "but…"  
  
As soon as she had said this, his hold relaxed on her.  
  
"That's ok," he said, although obviously struggling for control, "if you still have doubts, I can wait…"  
  
The change in him amazed her even more now. She realized that where before there had been smugness, almost a selfish need to satisfy his needs first, she could sense something different. A caring that she had not believed he could feel.  
  
"You really mean that?" She asked, as her hand caressed the frown forming on his features, trying to erase it.  
  
"Phoebe, I want you so much that I feel like I might die if I lost you. I never felt like this in my life. If I have to wait to prove it to you then, yes I will."  
  
He was now closing his eyes, obviously reveling at her light touch on his face.  
  
"I want you too," she whispered so softly that he wondered if he heard right.  
  
He opened his eyes and stared at her with uncertainty.  
  
His doubts flew away however when she leaned against him on her own, turning her face up to him, and offering her open lips to him, almost impatiently. This time, his kiss was not sweet but wanting and impatient. She responded in kind, the force of her passion surprising even herself. Her hand slid behind his neck, urging him even more. She felt that she could never be close enough, as she molded herself into him, wanting to feel all of him against her. She had completely forgotten about their surroundings, or all modesty, as she felt his hands on her back like burning iron, caressing her with increasing intensity. Her entire world now revolved around him, in his touch, his lips against hers. When his arms encircled her tightly and lifted her, she felt like she was floating in them. She felt herself being lowered onto something that seemed at once, hard and soft. Only then did she open her eyes, as he left her lips to kiss her neck, struggling with almost trembling fingers to open her garment. They were still outside, as she could see the bright stars in the open sky, and feel the breeze on her face. In his haste, a few of her buttons were torn off but she did not care. Slipping her hands under his shirt, she caressed his bare skin, and feeling how tense he was from the desire only drove her madder with want. She felt a fire inside that only his touch could appease. On her now bare breasts, she could feel his warm breath, as he seemed to hesitate. Unable to wait any longer, she arched herself toward him, almost letting out a scream of delight at the touch of his lips on her. Every touch, every kiss sent waves coursing through her until she thought that each one would be the end of her, as if she could die of intense pleasure. She was losing track of time and space, living only through the sensations that he gave her. He undressed her, then himself never stopping his caresses, and then it seemed to her like the most natural thing to feel him against her, as if their bodies were always meant to be intertwined in such a manner. She did not know anymore where she ended and he began; pleasure was a delectable little death, which she felt intensely, almost knowing his as much as hers, until the last wave exploded inside of her, and she almost passed out. For a long time, she kept her eyes close, letting her senses return to quasi normal slowly. Then she opened them to find him gazing at her with a dreamy expression.  
  
He smiled and she thought once again, that no one could be so charming. Somehow, she knew that he had kept this expression only for her, and her heart melted at the thought. Then, he seemed surprised, and she questioned softly:  
  
"What?"  
  
"Until now, I never knew what it meant to love another more than oneself. There is no doubt in my mind that I would give anything to be with you forever."  
  
She closed her eyes, just delighting in his words. Each one felt like one more caress, a balm over all the moments of pain that they had endured.  
  
"I love you too, with all my heart." She answered with a sweet smile, as he came down and deposited a light kiss on her lips.  
  
However, even in this beautiful moment, there was still a dark spot, something that she had not wanted to remember until now. Taking a deep breath, she began:  
  
"It is true that I love you. However, there is but one thing that I have to know."  
  
He frowned and she almost regretted starting this.  
  
"Now? Now you're having doubts." He asked incredulously.  
  
"I have no doubts about us, none whatsoever." She replied quickly, staring frankly at him. She breathed deeply again, worried, but unwilling to let it go.  
  
"What…" she sighed, fearing to lose this precious moment… When he said nothing, she went on. "What are you going to do about the slaves?"  
  
She could see that it was not such a shock to him, as if he had anticipated her question. "I was wondering when it would come to that," He said with a hint of sadness. "And what were you intent on doing?"  
  
"Oh Phoebe, I wish that I knew, I really do."  
  
"How could you not know? After what I have seen…"  
  
She wanted to let it go so bad, she wanted him to smile again and be happy, but she could not. This was still too much of an issue for her to ignore it.  
  
He pulled away from her, letting himself fall on his back, and he stared at the sky with a deep sigh.  
  
"You don't know what you are asking."  
  
This time, it was she who turned to him, trying to get him to look up at her.  
  
"How complicated can it be? You know now that they should not be enslaved, don't you?" He would not meet her gaze and she began to worry.  
  
"Please, I need to know."  
  
As she was waiting anxiously for his answer, she felt a chill, and only then vaguely noticed where they were. He had carried her all the way to the bow, and laid her in a canoe that was kept there. They were lying on the tarp, but deep enough to be out of sight of any passersby, for which she was grateful.  
  
She could still hear the whales singing in the farthest, and knew that no matter what happened next, she would always remember this song.  
  
Instead of answering her directly, he turned to her, noticing her shivering.  
  
"You're cold." He said, suddenly concerned. He took her close to him again, trying to warm her up, as he pulled the tarp around them.  
  
Incongruously, she realized that she did not even know his first name. It provided her with another distraction from the tense discussion, as she began to feel warmer against him.  
  
"You know? You didn't even tell me your first name."  
  
He lifted a corner of his mouth in a half smile, glad to get a moment of relief as well.  
  
"Cole," he simply answered in a lighter voice.  
  
She put her head on his shoulder and repeated it in a whisper, which made him feel even better immediately  
  
"Cole. I like it." "Do you now," he replied teasingly.  
  
Right then, both of them wished that she had not asked the terrible question, but after a moment, they knew that it was one that could not be ignored any longer.  
  
As he became serious again, he began:  
  
"Phoebe, I swear to you, I have no intention on doing this anymore. This trip will officially be my last one as Captain of this ship."  
  
She was overjoyed by this information, but she sensed that he was leaving something out, and she couldn't help worrying again.  
  
"What is it that you are not telling me?"  
  
He realized that he would have to finish this, but he was very reluctant, knowing that she would not like what he had to say. "Phoebe, you have to understand about the people on this ship…" He saw the doubtful expression and continued quickly.  
  
"The men serving on this vessel are not choir boys, by far. All of them have ended up in the merchant service because they were not suited to work on a navy ship…"  
  
"Not even you?" She asked, against her better judgement.  
  
He looked back at her with a little sadness.  
  
"Maybe me more than anyone else…" He hesitated.  
  
"I came here because I was unable to wait for my turn. I needed to be in charge at all cost. Maybe because I could not trust anyone…"  
  
Phoebe frowned. "Still?"  
  
"I have a long way to go, Phoebe…" He looked away suddenly. "Maybe you won't have the patience…" "I love you, and I believe in you…"  
  
Still looking away, he answered bitterly: "You said that you did not. And maybe you were right." She forced him to look her in the eyes: "I was wrong. And I understand that now."  
  
He almost pleaded: "If I were to disappoint you; if you were to leave me…"  
  
Phoebe smiled encouragingly. "I would never leave you, not anymore. I couldn't."  
  
He sighed, unconvinced. "Phoebe, I can't free the slaves that are on this ship. If I did, my men would turn not only against me, but also most certainly against you and your sisters. I have no idea how to prevent this."  
  
Phoebe bit her lips pensively. "Not all your men agree with slavery, I have seen it…"  
  
Cole grimaced unhappily. "Unfortunately, those who don't are the exception. I should know… Before you forced me to see them as people, I never doubted for a moment that I was doing the right thing. Moreover, these men have much more than this riding on the trip. Most are counting on the bonus that they'll receive at the delivery. I can't imagine that they would accept to give that up so easily."  
  
"There has to be a way!"  
  
Cole watched her with a dubious expression.  
  
"Will you at least try to find it? If not for me, for them?" Phoebe tried again.  
  
He sighed heavily. "I will try. But I cannot make any promises…"  
  
Phoebe figured that she could not ask for more at this point and she just lied back down, her head on his chest, simply enjoying presence.  
  
They stayed many hours in this place, the waves of desire alternating with the peace that they now felt between them. However, when it was almost dawn, they had to reluctantly leave their love nest and return to the real world. He accompanied her to the cabin and still kept her in his arms for a long moment. He was fearful, once more, that tomorrow might break them apart. He knew in his heart that he could not take this. However, he was also aware that this day would be a difficult one, and that he would need all his strength and concentration to get through it. He had no idea what might have transpired from the night before, and dreaded to face his officers at this point.  
  
After one last lingering kiss, he let her go inside, where she found that her sister Prue was still awake, and greeted her most severely.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking?"  
  
On his way back to the bridge, Cole found himself face to face with a very serious Leo… 


	9. Eye of the Storm (Chapter 9)

Eye of the Storm  
  
1 Chapter IX  
  
  
  
In spite of what he expected from Leo, Cole could not help being slightly amused. The poor man had actually fought him for the wrong reasons, but that did not make it less honorable. What amused Cole, on the other hand, was the seriousness that the man kept, even though his face was so busted.  
  
One of his eyes was closed shut, while his upper lip was so swollen that he had to keep his mouth opened. Maybe it was the incredible night that he just had, or simply a renewed respect for his first officer, but he kept his amusement to himself, and instead tried to be as pleasant as possible under the circumstance.  
  
"Well Mr. Wyatt," he began calmly, "you are up very early this morning…"  
  
Leo grunted, and then replied: "So are you…"  
  
Cole preferred not to answer that one. Seeing this, Leo continued.  
  
"To tell you the truth sir, I have not really slept. For some reason, I was experiencing discomfort." Cole thought it strange that the man seemed to be handing him an olive branch now. Maybe this day would not be as bad as he had feared.  
  
"Sir," Leo pursued, "I must say that last night was somewhat of a shock for me…For many reasons," he added after some more hesitation, vaguely indicating his own face. Cole answered cautiously:  
  
"I suppose that it was…"  
  
Leo just observed him for a moment longer, and Cole felt uncomfortable under this scrutiny. "What made you do it," Leo suddenly questioned, at last voicing his real concern. Cole eyed his first officer suspiciously.  
  
What might he be thinking, he wondered? Of course, he knew that Mr. Wyatt had rather liberal ideas long before he, himself, had his eyes opened about the black people. Still, he could not be certain that the man was ready to go as far as Cole intended to. After all, this was much more than a moral decision. It was a career breaker. Moreover, if he succeeded, then he would become a fugitive. Even as he was debating what to tell Leo, another possibility came to him. He had been putting off a certain conversation for a while, thinking that this would be dealt with once they were in Santo Domingo, but now he saw an opportunity.  
  
"Sir," Leo questioned impatiently. Cole realized that he had forgotten about the man in front of him, as his plan was now taking form.  
  
"Mr. Wyatt, I do not know what to tell you, really."  
  
"The truth would do, sir." Cole could sense the irritation in the man's voice.  
  
"Don't you have your own opinion already made up, Mr. Wyatt?"  
  
"I still would like to hear what you have to say. I must admit that my convictions about you were shaken last night…"  
  
Cole lifted an eyebrow in a dubious gesture.  
  
"Well, you will be glad to learn that you were not completely wrong," he began. "Indeed, I did not let this girl stay with the ladies for her sake."  
  
Cole was surprised to see a hint of disappointment on Leo's face.  
  
"But," he continued then, "Things have changed."  
  
Cole wondered why he was telling him this. Maybe it was this whole very emotional night, or most probably because he realized that whatever he was going to do from this moment on, he could not accomplish alone.  
  
He had stopped at this, and Leo's impatience grew.  
  
"Changed how, if you do not mind my asking?"  
  
"In the sense that I can't do this anymore… In the last few weeks, I have learned a thing or two about our…passengers."  
  
Leo noticed the hesitation and suddenly realized that his captain was not talking about the girls.  
  
With growing interest, he questioned:  
  
"Could you be more precise, sir?"  
  
"I have come to question just about everything I ever believed in. These people that we have been using for so long… well until recently, I had not seen them as such. They were just a workforce to me. I'd never stopped to think of what they might want. Now, I know that I could never be a part of their misery anymore."  
  
He could not believe that he had said this. Taking a deep breath, he waited anxiously, expecting that his first officer would threaten to divulge his dispositions to the crew, and then simply take over the ship.  
  
He knew from Leo' stunned expression that the man had understood the implication. After his first movement of surprise, Leo cast furtive looks around, as if he feared that someone else might have been listening in on them, which somewhat reassured Cole.  
  
Stunned was an understatement as far as Leo was concerned.  
  
He watched the Captain for a long time, trying to figure out if this one had not been fishing for information, or one worse thing to put on his report against him. Yet, he could not imagine what advantage the Captain would have to risk this. This coupled with the strange activities that had been reported to him, which he had not believed then, finally led him to trust Cole's sincerity.  
  
"I heard things," he said hesitantly. Cole grimaced:  
  
"I always thought that I was not severe enough on this ship. Obviously, my orders were not followed." "I can assure you, Captain, those men only told me, as they were somewhat concerned. There has been no other talk on the ship about this that I know of..."  
  
Cole's smile told Leo that he was not actually angry.  
  
"So it is true…"  
  
The smile vanished from the Captain's face, replaced once more by a very serious expression. As he looked closely, Leo could read some anxiety as well.  
  
"What matters now," Cole replied, in lieu of an answer, "is what you'll do about it… I know that I have no right to ask you to help me with this. However, I can't do it all by myself…"  
  
"Captain," Leo interrupted, increasingly astonished, "you really mean that you…"  
  
Leo stopped abruptly and Cole saw him stiffening. He wondered for a moment if he was about to do just what he had feared, but then he also heard the heavy steps behind him.  
  
A moment later, three sailors were passing them, obviously getting to their stations. This reminded Cole of how long this night had been.  
  
Once they had left, he turned back toward Leo:  
  
"Mr. Wyatt, I cannot tell you what to do. Whatever you decide, I'll abide by it."  
  
Leo was about to say something, but Cole continued quickly.  
  
"Don't give me your answer now, Mr. Wyatt. We're both exhausted and in great need of rest. If you intend to have me arrested, so be it. But I'm asking you to give it some thought before you make up your mind."  
  
Without giving Leo a chance to reply, Cole turned decisively toward the bridge and left the first officer to mull over what he'd learned.  
  
Cole immediately noticed the curious looks on the bridge officers' faces, but these did not make any comments and simply returned to their duties while he entered his quarters. He had managed to stay impassible for them, but as soon as he was alone, he leaned back against the door, barely believing that he had committed himself so deeply. There was no turning back.  
  
He could not help feeling a selfish regret at the thought of what might happen next. If the first officer decided to follow procedure, then not only his career, but also his first real relationship would end. Phoebe had opened the door for him, but now he was stepping through it, at the risk of losing her. For a moment, he wondered if it was really worth it, but he had never been one to do things halfway. All he could do was wait and see, as Leo's next step would make or break his newly formed plan. Only when he knew for sure, could he go ahead and have this other crucial conversation…  
  
Meanwhile, Phoebe had to face her irate sister.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking?" Prue said the moment she entered the cabin, taking Phoebe by surprise. She had expected a discussion, but not so soon.  
  
"Can't this wait?"  
  
"Like you could wait to give in to that…That monster…"  
  
Phoebe had been somewhat contrite until that moment, but this ended her budding remorse.  
  
"Watch what you're saying, Prue. I will not let you insult him in front of me."  
  
Prue seemed to become even angrier after this.  
  
"What lies did he serve you? You were the first one to say that he had no compassion, nor remorse." Phoebe took a step forward, the anger now swelling in her as well. "I was wrong. You do not know him as I do now."  
  
"And you do? Sleeping with a man is not the same thing as knowing him."  
  
"You should know," Phoebe spat, "after all, you've been sleeping with a pirate for the last two weeks, or did you think that we didn't notice?"  
  
"Leave Paul out of this, you little brat! You were always so lacking in judgement. Now you let your desires blind you to the truth."  
  
"And what would you know about the truth, Prue? Ever since you started seeing Mr. Mckail, you have not paid any attention to what was happening to us."  
  
Prue felt this reproach deeply, more so because she knew that it was the truth. The last few weeks, she had tried to forget all about what would happen once they were in Santo Domingo, but the fear was always there, keeping her every thought on Paul. In fact, the night before, it had come to a head with him, which was the real reason why they had been back so early, and found Cole and Leo fighting. Until then, she had kept her worries at bay while with him, but what he had told her changed things.  
  
Like every night, of late, she had come to him and everything had been fine until he had begun talking of how little time they had left.  
  
"Prue," he had said, as she was cuddling to him in their favorite hideout, "I think that it is time for us to face reality here…"  
  
Prue had stiffened at this.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Sighing, he had pulled her up to him, forcing her to look at him directly.  
  
"We have little time left, and every day, I feel worse about leaving you. We've been behaving as if that was never going to happen, but now…"  
  
She had answered much more brusquely than intended, but it was due to all of her fears returning at once. "What about now?"  
  
"If I feel bad about leaving you, I feel even worse about leading you on…"  
  
"I knew what I was doing."  
  
"Did you, really? Prue, you have to know that I never wanted to take advantage of you…"  
  
The anxiety had risen dramatically in her.  
  
"And now what? You want to end this to relieve your conscience?"  
  
"Prue, please, that's not what I meant." "That's what it sounded like."  
  
She had gotten up very quickly, without giving him time to answer, and almost ran out of the hideout.  
  
Paul had gone after her, intent on defending his point, but the disturbing fight that they had witnessed had prevented him from pursuing it right away.  
  
  
  
Later, after the baby's birth, he had managed to calm her down, but only after a lengthy discussion. This had resolved nothing, but she understood that he had never meant to hurt her, and that he suffered just as much as she did about it.  
  
These thoughts had distracted her from Phoebe, and she now realized how much her relationship with Paul had kept her away from her sisters and their problems. Deflated somewhat, she answered more calmly:  
  
"I know that I was not there as much as I should have been, but that doesn't make what you did right, Phoebe."  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath and tried to calm herself in turn. There was no point in this ugly fight. "Maybe, if you took the time to know him, you would find that things have changed. No matter, I know all I need to know about him, and nothing that you could say or do will change the way I feel."  
  
Prue frowned and gave a sad look at her sister.  
  
Phoebe saw that Prue was still unconvinced. She was almost tempted to describe to her what he had done, but refrained from it for fear that Prue would again view his actions as interested. She realized that until Prue could see an actual proof of his change, she would never believe it.  
  
Determined to end this conversation, she simply moved on toward the alcove, crossing path with Piper, who looked exhausted.  
  
This one barely glanced at Phoebe, and only with a non-committal expression. She obviously had heard the argument, but did not want to be part of it. In a way, Phoebe was grateful, although she would have liked to have someone on her side.  
  
At least, Piper had reproached anything to her, and actually, seemed to be preoccupied by something else, as she continued toward her own cot.  
  
Phoebe wondered about it, but she was too tired to get into another problem that morning. She entered the alcove to find that the black women, as well as the baby were fast asleep, thankfully. Forgetting all about Prue's outburst, she smiled at the sight, and even more at the thought of what happened after his birth. She still barely believed that it was real. The joy that she had felt at being with Cole lingered with her, and even as she laid herself on the cot and fell asleep almost immediately, a soft smile stayed on her lips.  
  
While what he had said to the Captain about his discomfort was in great part the truth, there had been another reason why Leo could not find sleep that night.  
  
Earlier, after Cole had left and then subsequently, the youngest Ms Halliwell, he had found himself face to face with Piper for a short instant. He had almost talked right then, but decided that he was not ready for the unpleasant conversation. Turning away from her without a word, he had left the cabin, and ever since wondered about her lack of trust.  
  
How could she have said that she loved him and still kept something so important from him? And of course, as if that was not enough, now he had learned another disturbing truth, this one about the Captain.  
  
The latter had troubled him so much that he had decided to postpone confronting Piper again. In fact, following the Captain's advice this time, he had gone back to his quarters and finally managed to get some rest, albeit through an agitated sleep. After a few hours, he woke up feeling every part of his body on fire, but with a slightly clearer idea on what he should do. Once he had made his decision about the Captain, however uncomfortable it felt, he decided to go to Piper first…  
  
Piper had simply gone by Prue without a word and laid herself on the cot with thoughts more disturbing one than the next.  
  
After the joyous event that was the baby's birth, she had felt exhilarated. But then, she had seen Leo there, and the shock had almost been too much. Throughout those two weeks, at times, she had felt terrible remorse at keeping the truth from him. Yet, she had reasoned that maybe he would never need to know, and that he might even have preferred it this way. However, seeing him there, and mostly reading the disappointment in his expression had been almost too painful. She would have run after him, but Phoebe had just left, and Prue was on her way out with Paul, thus leaving her alone to take care of the new mother and child.  
  
She had been too stunned to call to Prue about it, and after she departed, Piper had wanted to strangle both of her sisters for their selfishness. Soon however, her thoughts had returned to Leo.  
  
What might he be thinking? Would he ever forgive her this lie?  
  
Being forced to wait before she could find the answer to these questions was torture.  
  
The next few hours, she had spent in the alcove, sitting by Li and her baby. She had fallen asleep a few times, but every now and then, she would wake up with her throat constricted by worry.  
  
More than once, she was tempted to go to him anyway, but as time went by, and he did not come back, she saw this as an insurmountable obstacle to their love. It took her everything that she had to hide her pain from Li and her mother. In the end, she was awakened once more, this time by the loud voices of her sisters.  
  
She had been unwilling to intervene, even more so that she was still somewhat angry with them for their lack of consideration.  
  
They had obviously assumed that she would not mind staying behind, and now, their problems did not interest Piper in the least.  
  
It took her a long time to find rest that morning, but she still managed to fall back asleep in the end. When she awoke a few hours later, it was because of a knock on their door…  
  
After Prue left, Paul had lain awake for long hours in his bunk. At first, he had been thinking of their upcoming arrival in Santo Domingo and what it would mean for him and Prue, causing him to ignore what his bunkmates were talking about. However, eventually he caught bits of their conversations and realized that the medic had not lost time spreading the news. The men were very agitated and stunned mostly by their Captain's actions. From what he heard, however, there were no obvious signs of a revolt brewing. Still, he decided that he would talk to the Captain about this later, worried that he was about the volatility of the situation.  
  
Piper almost went back to sleep, still groggy after the short night. However, the knocking became insistent and her sisters did not react to it.  
  
She saw that Prue was moaning in her sleep, while Phoebe did not come out of the alcove, so Piper dressed up hurriedly and went to the door. She was still so sleepy that she had not taken the time to theorize on who was visiting them, so that when she saw Leo there, she gasped. Not only was she somewhat surprised to see him, but even if her worries of the night were not enough, she could now see clearly the marks left by his fight with Cole. She had not noticed them the night before in her state of shock. "What happened to you," she asked anxiously.  
  
Leo was standing there very rigidly, and she made a tentative move toward him, bringing her hand to his face. He almost took a step back at her gesture, and Piper was immediately reminded of their problem. "Leo…"  
  
"We need to talk," he replied in a flat tone of voice that unnerved Piper more than if he had screamed.  
  
Nevertheless, she nodded in the affirmative as calmly as she could while showing him in. Her sisters were apparently still asleep, and she led him toward the corner of the cabin where they were in the habit of taking their meals.  
  
There, she saw the breakfast that had obviously been delivered that morning, but had remained untouched… She wondered vaguely if the steward had let himself in, and noticed the black women. However, she soon dismissed this concern, as she was convinced that the whole ship must have known by now. She even admitted to herself that this had only served as a distraction from the confrontation to come.  
  
After they were seated, and trying again to postpone the inevitable, she realized, but also out of concern, she questioned:  
  
"Won't you tell me what happened? Who did this to you?"  
  
Leo pinched his swollen lips before turning to her resolutely:  
  
"It really doesn't matter anymore, Piper. This does not hurt nearly as much as what you did…" Piper breathed deeply, trying to stifle the tears that she felt coming.  
  
"I never meant to hurt you…"  
  
"Then why did not you trust me?" He replied forcefully.  
  
"I trust you, of course I do."  
  
"Don't lie to me Piper. If you had trusted me, you wouldn't have kept this from me," he continued, vaguely indicating the alcove.  
  
"You have to believe me; I wanted to tell you… But I made a promise to keep it a secret." "To whom?"  
  
She lowered her eyes, unable to sustain his harsh stare. She could not even justify herself in her own eyes, let alone his. "I know that I should've, but your Captain asked that we told no one."  
  
When he talked again, she could feel the sadness in his voice.  
  
"I thought that you loved me, that you believed in me."  
  
"But I do," she answered anxiously. "You have to believe me; I never wanted this to come between us…" "And what did you expect? That I'd never find out?"  
  
The fact that this had been on her mind made her feel ashamed.  
  
"I'm so sorry…Will you ever forgive me," she pleaded with a tremor.  
  
He looked away then, sighing heavily.  
  
"Leo please, I don't know what I will do if you can't find it in your heart to forgive me." She had said this in a broken voice, the urge to cry so strong now that she had pain repressing it.  
  
For a long moment, he kept silent, still refusing to look at her.  
  
"Piper, I want to believe that you love me, I really do. However, it's difficult to understand how you can say that you love me and still keep something so important from me."  
  
Although, she understood his anger, the fact that he doubted her love as well was too much for her. In that instant, resentment replaced the urge to cry.  
  
"How can you doubt my love? Have I not proven it to you? Yes, it is true that I have not been completely honest with you, but I had good reasons. Be angry for that, but do not doubt my feelings for you." Her outburst shook him. "Piper?"  
  
She could not help asking: "Maybe it's you who don't love me enough?"  
  
"How could you say this?" Leo turned back to her with a pained expression.  
  
This deflated her and she could not repress the tears any longer.  
  
Seeing this, he went impulsively and took her in his arms.  
  
"Please don't cry, I'm sorry. I was so afraid that…"  
  
"I love you, Leo. You have to believe that."  
  
She buried her face in his shoulder, relieved to feel his arms around her.  
  
"I love you," he whispered, as he began stroking her hair, while still holding her tight against him.  
  
Right then, he felt foolish to have doubted her love, and also to have risked losing her in doing so. The baby's cries interrupted the moment. As Piper pulled away reluctantly, Leo wiped away a tear from her cheek delicately.  
  
They gazed at each other for a moment longer, hopeful that they had a new understanding, but the renewed cries from the baby distracted Piper.  
  
"That's ok," Leo said, as he saw that she was reluctant to leave him, "I have another visit to make this morning, but I'll be back later…"  
  
She smiled sweetly and gave him a light kiss before moving toward the alcove. Leo watched her go and still lingered a while before getting up. Outside the cabin, he looked toward the bridge with a sigh.  
  
It was now the time to face a difficult task.  
  
Cole had been agitated at first, but then he had resigned himself to whatever would happen. He found sleep much faster than he had anticipated, and he awoke thinking that maybe it had to do with feeling that he was doing the right thing. He knew that the consequences might be serious, but he also believed that for once in his life, he was following his heart. Somehow, it felt right, as it never did before.  
  
This did not keep him from starting at the knock on the door.  
  
He had been waiting for this, but now that the moment had arrived, it still left him a little anxious. He opened the door and was surprised to find not Leo, but Paul McKail.  
  
Paul had been hesitating to go to the Captain, even after he decided that it was necessary. After the attack on the ship and the Captain's intent on having a talk with him, he had been convinced that Captain Turner was on to him and would have him arrested soon. However, after a few days without a word from him, Paul had begun to relax considerably, imagining that he had misread Cole's comment.  
  
Still, now that he intended to go to him, he felt that it might be tempting the devil. There was the possibility that Captain Turner had simply judged him already and decided to have him arrested once in Santo Domingo. Alternatively, this might just invite the unpleasant conversation. Nevertheless, he felt that the situation was serious, and could escalate, threatening not only the Captain, but also everyone on board…  
  
Therefore, it was with trepidation that he stepped on the bridge, greeted by some curious stares from the officers. "Sir?" One of them questioned.  
  
"I need to talk to the Captain," he simply said.  
  
"What about?"  
  
"Huh… It's personal."  
  
The man hesitated, looking back toward the closed door. The officer, who had been there earlier, told him that the Captain had come in very late. However, he saw no reasons to be considerate toward Captain Turner, and he simply indicated the quarters to Paul before returning to his post.  
  
The Captain opened the door at the first knock and seemed understandably surprise at seeing him there.  
  
"Captain, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have something to tell you and I think that you should hear me out."  
  
Moving aside to let him in, Cole waited until the door was close to reply: "As a matter of fact, I might also have something to talk to you about very soon…"  
  
Paul thought, "here we go."  
  
"Have a seat, Mr. McKail," Cole offered. Then, he didn't lose anymore time in amenities. "So, what did you want to tell me?"  
  
Paul was a little surprised by the Captain' strangely calm attitude, and took a moment before answering.  
  
"I am afraid that Li's presence in the girls' cabin is no longer a secret…There has been a lot of talk and gossiping among the men…"  
  
Cole sighed perceptibly before replying.  
  
"I thought that it might happen."  
  
"Yes, well, although there doesn't seem to be any serious problem at the moment, I would certainly recommend some damage control, just in case."  
  
Cole was about to ask what he had in mind when another knock on the door caught his attention.  
  
He had no doubt that this time, it would be Leo, with or without a party to take him in…  
  
Paul noticed Cole's reaction in wonderment.  
  
That seemed so out of character for the Captain to be anxious about anything, that he almost questioned him about it. However, Cole was already at the door in spite of his obvious reticence.  
  
This time, it was Leo, albeit a very serious Leo. However, Cole saw that he was alone and wondered if he intended to escort him to the cell on his own.  
  
"Captain, I have come to a decision…"  
  
Cole let him in and Leo showed his surprise at Paul's presence there.  
  
He turned questioningly toward Cole. This one closed the door before answering the silent question.  
  
"That's ok, Mr. Wyatt, I don't think that discretion will matter much if you have come to arrest me. Moreover, in the other eventuality, well then I won't have to explain myself twice…"  
  
Leo, as well as Paul stared at him in puzzlement. Even though, Leo had a pretty good idea on what the Captain meant by this, he still found it difficult to wrap his mind around it. This was such a radical change…  
  
"I do not want to pressure you Mr. Wyatt, but since you said yourself that you had come to a decision, I would appreciate if you shared it with me now."  
  
Leo read the anxious note in his Captain's voice, even through his apparent calm.  
  
"Well sir, I must admit that it was not an easy one to make. Although, I agree with your new opinion regarding our…passengers…I must say that the thought of betraying my offices and the company we both work for, was a little disturbing."  
  
Leo saw a shadow crossing Cole's features, as he probably already assumed the worst.  
  
"However," he continued quickly, "I happen to think that a man must follow his conscience before following orders…"  
  
Cole could not help a sigh of relief at this.  
  
"I must say that if you are not an obedient officer, you are most certainly consistent." Leo winced at the apparent semi-reproach, but realized that once more the Captain had this vague smile on his lips while saying it.  
  
Instead of answering, he simply nodded, then turned to Paul.  
  
"So Mr. McKail, are you in on whatever is going to happen?"  
  
Paul was simply trying to make sense of the little exchange even now.  
  
"I'm afraid that you have lost me here."  
  
Cole intervened: "I haven't had time to give Mr. McKail any explanation yet. In fact, I was planning to do this after you gave me your decision. However, I want to reiterate that you don't have to be an active participant in this. I simply need for you to provide some information and turn your head the other way when the time comes…""I think that you are splitting hair, Captain…"  
  
"Nevertheless, it would keep you safe from the authorities…"  
  
Paul's confusion grew by the moment, but he decided to wait and see.  
  
He became astonished, as the Captain explained to Leo what he needed from him. In the end, Leo just nodded in the affirmative, and then he waved a vague good bye in Paul's direction before going out.  
  
Paul watched Cole coming back toward him calmly and return to their conversation as if nothing extraordinary had transpired.  
  
"So you were saying about damage control?"  
  
Paul was flabbergasted now, and let him know.  
  
"Captain, I think that what just happened warrants a better explanation."  
  
"You heard what I had to say…"  
  
"And frankly, that is a far cry from letting those women stay with the Halliwells."  
  
"Yes," Cole simply answered.  
  
Paul shifted position on his chair nervously.  
  
"Are you seriously planning on freeing the slaves?"  
  
"If all goes well… yes. And also, I'll need your help if I want to succeed…"  
  
"How?"  
  
Cole just stared at him for a long moment and Paul became uncomfortable.  
  
"Mr. McKail, as you know," Cole finally uttered, "I had intended to have a talk with you about your foreknowledge of the pirates a few weeks ago."  
  
"I surmised as much but…"  
  
Cole gestured him to wait.  
  
"From that day, I have been convinced that you could not be so well informed without having intimate knowledge of who these people were. What's more of course, this gave me the idea that you might have been one of the prisoners supposedly on the Frigate…"  
  
Paul grimaced, as he realized that his fears had been founded.  
  
"However," Cole continued, "things have changed considerably, as you have seen. Now, I am in great need of your expertise in order for my plan to succeed. I am mostly hoping that your trade brought you around the Islands of our destination…"  
  
Paul did not see any more reasons to deny.  
  
"I, indeed have a very good knowledge of them…"  
  
"Then, I have an offer that I think you won't want to refuse… But first thing first, let's address your concern."  
  
"The damage control?" "Yes."  
  
"Well, sir, in light of what you just told me, I am even more convinced that you should act quickly in order to calm your crew…"  
  
"What did you have in mind?"  
  
In the cabin, the girls were very quiet, all of them for their own personal reasons. Phoebe and Prue were avoiding each other altogether; meanwhile Piper felt some relief, but still worried that her fragile reconciliation with Leo might not hold.  
  
Li and the baby were doing well thankfully and the new mother had demonstrated a healthy appetite already. The baby had begun nursing and seemed very healthy in spite of the terrible conditions his mother had been exposed to. When the loud knock resounded, the three girls turned almost in block toward it, all of them expecting visitors. It was still Phoebe, who got there first and smiled widely when seeing Cole. Her smile vanished however, when she took in his very serious expression. Gone was the sweetness from his eyes. He actually avoided her gaze altogether, and she suddenly had a sinking feeling. Only then did she notice that he was not alone. Behind him were two of the handlers that she had seen guarding the slaves. They were carrying a stretcher, and it did not take her long to put it all together. She looked back in horror toward Cole, but this one still avoided looking at her directly. Instead, he curtly ordered the men in.  
  
"Cole what are you doing?"  
  
"Ms Halliwell," he answered, "I will only tell you this once. First, no one speaks to me so familiarly on this ship. Please refrain from it. Secondly, you should count you and your sisters' blessings that I do not have you thrown in the brig on the spot."  
  
Phoebe was so stunned that she could not find the words to protest. She still searched for an explanation in his expression. She could find none that wouldn't be the worse.  
  
Prue, however, found that it was very much what she had expected.  
  
"You monster! It's not enough that you're a heartless slaver, but you had to take advantage of my sister's goodness…"  
  
She stopped only because of his hard stare, suddenly thinking that things might just get worse if she pursued her comment. The handlers did not lose time getting the black women, and then they carried Li on the stretcher with her baby. The poor girl looked at the sisters with terror in her eyes.  
  
They had no idea how to alleviate her fears and had to watch helplessly as the men took her away.  
  
Phoebe tried once more to appeal to Cole.  
  
"Please, don't do this. I can't believe that you could have changed your mind so soon." "Who said that my intentions were ever any different?" He had questioned loud enough for even the handlers moving away to hear. Then without giving her another look, he left.  
  
As the handlers were moving away, they glanced at each other with lurid smiles.  
  
"Well," the first one said, "It looks like the Captain finally got what he wanted. We might be able to return to business as usual after all."  
  
"He sure was acting weird," said another, "but hey, for such a nice prize, I guess he had an excuse."  
  
The two men started laughing even as they were carrying the stretcher toward the lower deck… 


	10. Eye of the Storm (chapter 10)

Eye of the Storm  
  
Chapter X  
  
Cole thought that his heart would break into pieces right there. He walked away from her, fighting the urge to turn back and explain himself, all the way to his quarters. Only there did he allow himself to breathe normally. It had taken everything he had to keep his calm appearance until then. Once alone, he cursed McKail again and his bloody logic.  
  
When the man had started explaining what he had in mind, Cole had felt the urge to throw him out of the room. "You can't seriously ask me to betray her now!"  
  
"You would not be betraying her, you know that, and she will know it soon after."  
  
"She will never believe it. I am not even sure that I could look myself in the mirror after doing this."  
  
His strong reaction surprised Paul. He had expected some reticence, but not this.  
  
"The only other alternative to prevent a more serious problem would be for you to resign your commission, and possibly be arrested. Now, where would Li and the others be?"  
  
Cole had stood up and started pacing the room nervously. He could not help remembering how many times he had disappointed Phoebe already. How could she ever forgive him what Paul had suggested? No matter what happened next, she would still doubt him. He had accepted that he might lose her for the right reasons, however painful the thought was. Nevertheless, to lose her respect and the fragile trust that she had put in him, he knew would be much worse.  
  
"Can't we warn her beforehand?" He asked, suddenly seeing the possible solution, even if he knew that she would still be incensed at the idea of Li returning to the cells. Paul sighed. "If you did, then her reaction wouldn't be genuine. You have to convince your men that you're still the same person that embarked on this ship. If you don't, they will watch you, and most probably, stop you when the time comes. Don't you think that she'd want these people to be free even more than you?"  
  
Paul had managed to make him feel selfish, and Cole was even angrier with him for this. However, the man's logic was undeniable. All he could hope for was that when she saw what he would do next, she would understand.  
  
"So be it," he had then replied with a deep sigh.  
  
After this, it had not taken long to choose among the handlers the ones who would be the most likely to talk about what they saw. Paul had time to observe them during the trip and he recommended the two that accompanied Cole to the cabin.  
  
He had thought that going there and facing her would be the worst. Yet, he now realized that leaving had been the hardest. Even now, he still felt the impulse to go back and tell her the truth. He knew however that it might just tip off the sailors to his true motivation. They considered him a womanizer, and in truth until recently, they had been right about it. This made what he had done a much more plausible reaction on his part, as far as his men were concerned. The scenario that Paul had given him fit perfectly with his old self. What hurt him most was to know that Phoebe was also aware of this.  
  
Paul had also suggested that he should stay away from the slaves. At this point, however, Cole felt the need for a moment of peace. He could not go to her, but it might not seem so improbable that he would want to check on the slaves, this after sending back the two missing ones, he reasoned.  
  
He knew that they probably would be angry as well. Nevertheless, he felt the need to see those for whom he was risking everything, and remind himself of why it was so important.  
  
Phoebe had watched him going without reacting; the pain inside her running so deep that she could barely breathe. How could she have been so mistaken? How could he have told her that he loved her so sincerely, and then destroyed it in such a horrible manner?  
  
Only Prue coming toward her with a commiserating expression shook her out of the trance that she was stuck in. Of all things, her sister's pity was almost the worst. She had defended him, believed in him enough to treat her sister badly for her opinions. Now, Prue was proven right, but Phoebe was not ready to hear the "I told you so" that was sure to come.  
  
Avoiding Prue's eyes, she moved toward the alcove, barely containing the sobbing that she felt mounting in her. Once there however, all she saw was the reminder of his betrayal, as the now empty room just hurt her more. For a long moment, she stood there, transfixed by the pain. Then, the sorrow that she felt transformed into deep anger toward him.  
  
Turning around, she went straight to the door, determined to have it out with Cole.  
  
Paul had gone straight from the Captain's quarters to find Leo, already knowing where the ship should go in keeping with the Captain's plan. Although, he also added a variation to the plan; one which the Captain had found to be interesting. His ad on to the plan had made the little stunt of this morning even more necessary, finishing to convince Cole to do it.  
  
He still wondered if Captain Turner was sincere in his endeavor, but he really did not see what choice he had in the matter. Although, thinking back of his unnerved state earlier, he had no doubts that at the very least, his affection for Phoebe was real. Either way, the Captain had the goods on him. His best bet was to go along and hope that it was all true.  
  
It did not hurt that this way, he was given a chance to try saving these people, on top of the possibility to go free, which was not negligible. Of course, he realized that this was rather risky, but he figured that it was better than waiting for the authorities to arrest him in Santo Domingo.  
  
He found the first officer discussing with a sailor that he recognized for one of the mildest among the crew. Still, when he called to Leo, this one jumped as if he was guilty of something. Leo turned to follow him immediately, but Paul stayed with an uncomfortable feeling about this.  
  
He had believed that this conversation would be short and straightforward, giving him time to go and resolve another pressing matter, but the First Officer's reaction pushed him to question further before giving him the information.  
  
"What was that all about?"  
  
Leo looked at him uncomprehendingly:  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I could not help noticing that you seemed jumpy with that sailor a moment ago."  
  
"Oh that, well…"  
  
Leo looked around and, not reassured by the other people's proximity, he signaled Paul to follow him.  
  
Leo led them all the way to his quarters and closed the door behind him before he talked again.  
  
"I was simply feeling the pulse of this sailor about the slaves. I actually think that he could be of use, along with a few others."  
  
Paul stared incredulously at Leo:  
  
"You are not telling these men about our plan, are you?"  
  
Leo grimaced impatiently:  
  
"Mr. McKail, you have to realize that getting over a hundred people out of the hold will be tricky at best, and totally impossible if we don't get some help. At the very least, we need men willing to look the other way…"  
  
Paul could see the logic in this, but was still very uncomfortable with the idea.  
  
"And you do realize, Mr. Wyatt that the more people know about this, the more chances we have to be discovered and stopped? This, particularly given the fact that my part in the plan should keep both you and the Captain out of the authorities' grasp, as long as no one else knows of your involvement."  
  
"And what would that plan involve," Leo questioned with a renewed interest.  
  
Paul filled him in on the details and Leo gave him a nod of approval.  
  
"Well, I hope that this works, but trust me Mr. McKail, I know all about the risks. However, if measured against the advantages of getting help from these men, it's worth it." "I truly hope that you know what you are doing."  
  
Leo did not answer this, but simply asked what else Paul wanted to tell him.  
  
"I have a location for you. Hopefully, these directions," he said, pulling a map out of his vest and showing it to Leo, "won't tip the helmsman too soon as to our destination."  
  
"And what are we supposed to tell him if he does find out about the change of course?"  
  
"Captain Turner suggested that we invent some last minute errand…"  
  
"The helmsman will find it highly unlikely."  
  
"No more than what the Captain has been doing during this trip. From what I have heard, many of the sailors thought that he was going insane."  
  
Leo managed a little smile at this.  
  
"I must admit that the possibility occurred to me as well, more than once. I'm not even sure yet…"  
  
This suddenly reminded Paul of his other task, and he took leave of Leo in a hurry.  
  
As he had feared, Cole found that the slaves were avoiding looking his way, obviously upset with Li's return, and most likely her account of what happened. He wished that he could make them understand, but all he could do was stand back and give himself some time to think. On this occasion, trying to maintain the illusion for the handlers, he had kept on his uniform, and tried to look as severe as he could, in spite of his misgivings. Of course, that did not help with the black people, who were probably even more convinced of his betrayal by this… When he found that no one was paying attention anymore, he pulled the flask and took a long sip of rum, trying to settle his nerves. Phoebe's voice practically had him choking on it.  
  
"How dare you," she was almost screaming. "How dare you do this to her? And to me as well?"  
  
He did not look back. Instead, he tried to defend himself, albeit weakly.  
  
"You don't understand."  
  
"Oh, I understand very well, Captain." The last word had been said in such a disdainful manner that he flinched. In spite of his remorse, he still felt her attack as unfair, and the anger swelled inside him.  
  
"I understand," she pursued, "that you wanted something and that you were ready to do anything to get it, even misleading these poor people."  
  
He couldn't stand this anymore and turned abruptly toward her. He was about to tell her how mistaken she was, when he saw something in her eyes that gave him pause. "That's it," she continued, "play the offended captain. Role-playing seems to be a hobby of yours. But I know better now…"  
  
The words were hurtful, but when he met her gaze, he saw a twinkle, almost amusement, and that stopped the harsh response that he was about to give. Almost imperceptibly, she looked aside, indicating the men who were observing them. Then she turned back, and he understood that she was waiting for a response.  
  
"Ms Halliwell, I won't tolerate your insults toward me or my office on this ship. Whatever you are reproaching me is really not of my concern."  
  
"Oh no, you don't," she answered forcefully, in spite of the obvious satisfaction that she expressed through her eyes. "I won't be quiet, Captain."  
  
Cole knew that the men would never believe that he was letting a woman talk to him like this, and in truth, it suited him just fine, as he went to her and pulled her away, apparently rudely.  
  
For the benefit of the men, he uttered loudly:  
  
"You will be quiet or else…" This was said almost with a growl.  
  
As they were going down the hallway, he thought that he heard laughter back there, and he figured that they had been believable enough.  
  
However, the moment that he found a spot away from prying eyes, he pulled her in his arms, practically crushing her against him, so strong was his relief.  
  
"I was so afraid that you would hate me."  
  
Pulling away slightly, she looked up seriously.  
  
"I did for a while. That was a very unpleasant sensation."  
  
"I'm so sorry."  
  
"That's ok," she answered softly; "I know why you did it."  
  
"You do?" He questioned with a frown.  
  
"I was about to tell you off…For real, I mean," she added, thinking of the scene that she had just made, "but Mr. McKail stopped me in time."  
  
"He did?"  
  
"He was very eloquent actually. The poor man practically had to pin me down so that I would listen, but thankfully, I did."  
  
Cole looked so surprised that she almost laughed at his nonplussed expression.  
  
Instead, she smiled sweetly and pulled him toward her, just dying to feel his lips against hers again. Their kiss rapidly became passionate, exacerbated by the intense fear of loss that they had both experienced earlier. His caresses were soon more purposeful, and in that moment, she wished only to give herself to him then and there. Yet, she could not forget that they were still in danger, and should not be seen together in this manner, or all that he had done might have been for naught.  
  
Reluctantly, she pushed him away, even as her heart was racing from the emotions.  
  
"Not now," she whispered regretfully.  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing back and answering.  
  
"You're right."  
  
She could feel his effort at self-control, and it made it even more tempting to give in.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she started:  
  
"Now, I do believe that you never meant to hurt me or Li, but I have to be allowed to take care of her. I can't leave her alone; it's too soon after the baby's birth."  
  
"But they might realize that we tricked them," Cole answered, slightly worried.  
  
"Not if you do what I suggest…"  
  
Cole was apparently pushing her ahead of him when they returned toward the cell. He left her in front of the door and went purposefully toward one of the guards.  
  
"Let her in," he said in a harsh voice. "If she wants to be with those, then so be it. She can stay with them the rest of the trip for all I care."  
  
The guard looked curiously from him to Phoebe, but then he shrugged and pulled out his keys. Cole followed him back toward her, and while the man was noisily opening the barred door, he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Tonight?"  
  
She acquiesced weakly, not daring to look at him for fear of revealing how she felt.  
  
Instead, she faked annoyance at his proximity, pulling away from him, and rapidly going through the door that the guard had just opened for her. This one seemed amused by her attitude, no doubt thinking that the Captain had tamed her somewhat. He even watched her with a lurid smile that made Phoebe uncomfortable, as she turned away from him.  
  
Cole had noticed this too before moving away, and he had to refrain from hitting the man for his attitude.  
  
He only wished that this masquerade would be over soon…  
  
Paul, as well as Leo spent the day listening in discreetly on the crew. They came out of this satisfied that the stunt Paul had suggested worked. The men apparently bought the party line, because they were now convinced that their Captain had tricked the girl into his bed. Some of the comments made them flinch, but they stayed away from any possible conflict, only thankful that the crew seemed totally unaware of their plan.  
  
Once he had a moment to himself, Paul thought back to his confrontation with Prue that afternoon. If it had been difficult to convince Phoebe, it was nothing in comparison to Prue's disbelieving attitude. Obviously, she had no reason to believe anything good coming from the Captain, and had let Paul know in no uncertain terms. "Have you gone insane?" She had practically screamed. "Phoebe was just coming to her senses and now she is back with him."  
  
"Prue please, would you keep it down. It won't do any good if everyone hears what you are saying now."  
  
"Why would you believe a single word that this man says?" She replied, barely toning it down.  
  
Sighing, he had taken her arm and pulled her toward the now empty alcove.  
  
"Prue, I know that it seems fantastic, but I believe that the Captain may be sincere. You have not seen him as I have. I agree that it is difficult to accept that he has changed so much, but the fact is, he has."  
  
Prue opened wide eyes at this, demonstrating that she still believed him to be crazy.  
  
"Please, Prue, give him the benefit of the doubt if nothing else. Besides, he made me an offer that I could not refuse…"  
  
"Oh I see," she replied sarcastically, "that's why you're being so understanding…"  
  
"Prue," he replied, this time with a strong hint of irritation and rightful outrage, "if I thought for a moment that he intended to hurt your sister, I would not have helped him."  
  
Prue sensed that she had gone too far and she backed down slightly.  
  
"Maybe so, but I still think that you are blinding yourself to the truth because of his offer." "Then, you don't know me as well as you think."  
  
For a moment, they had just stared at each other angrily. Then he had seen the futility of this fight, particularly knowing how little time they had left.  
  
"Prue, please, would you trust in my judgement?"  
  
She shrugged, but thought just the same that their time should not be wasted on the captain.  
  
"I can only hope that you are right, Paul. My sister has been through enough, not only because of him, but this whole trip."  
  
His voice softened noticeably when he answered.  
  
"I know that you only want to protect her. Maybe you should just try trusting her judgment as well. She strikes me as a reasonable girl."  
  
Prue bit her lips and looked away for an instant. Then she just turned back toward him, still very serious.  
  
"I will try…"  
  
"No one can ask more of you, Prue."  
  
Setting aside her own worries about Phoebe, she let her curiosity take over.  
  
"What is it that he offered you?"  
  
"My freedom, namely. It comes at a price however.  
  
Prue gave him another annoyed look at this.  
  
"Well," he continued, trying to ignore her irritation, "the fact is that after we have freed the slaves, I will be even more of a wanted man…"  
  
Prue did not need him to tell her what it meant for them. Things were getting more hopeless by the moment. Instead of protesting at this point, she simply leaned on his chest, trying to take comfort in his presence. With all her might, she rejected the thought of what life would be without him…  
  
Now, Paul was waiting for her, certain that there was nothing more that he could do to prepare. He had omitted to tell her that this would be their last night thinking that it was enough that he would suffer because of it. A few hours hence, they would be in sight of the island he had chosen for the first part of the escape…  
  
Cole had spent the day trying his best to hide his true feelings, but those were increasingly harder to dissimulate. Paul had told him and Leo that it would all have to take place in the early morning, under cover of darkness. He felt a mix of anticipation and trepidation all at once. However, the only thing that made it tolerable was the knowledge that Phoebe still trusted him. For a while that morning, he had feared the worst and knew that it could not happen again. No matter what came next, he would never do anything that she could reproach to him.  
  
Now, he was waiting near the bow, careful not to attract any attention to him, but still pacing nervously. It had only been a few minutes, but he felt like he had waited forever. No matter what she had said, he still worried that she might have changed her mind. "What if she doesn't come? She would have a right," he thought painfully. He knew that he did not deserve her love, but that did not keep him from wanting her so bad, that he imagined his life would be over if she rejected him. In those few minutes of wait, he had mulled over the little that he truly had accomplished in his life. Never before the last few weeks had he even thought of helping someone beside himself. Let alone risk everything for perfect strangers. He was still struggling with the idea, even now. However, he knew that he would give everything he ever had for only one more moment with her.  
  
"The sky is so beautiful at sea," Phoebe uttered softly. "I have never seen so many stars before…"  
  
She was already by his side, leaning against his arm and searching for his hand. He wondered how she could have come to him so fast and quietly.  
  
"How long have you been there," he asked even though, he did not care one way or the other, just as long as she was there.  
  
"A while…"  
  
"Saw something amusing?"  
  
She moved in front of him, searching his eyes.  
  
"I saw something I love."  
  
She could see the frown dissipate on his forehead and all the worry that she witnessed only moments ago receding.  
  
"Never doubt my love, it will not fail you." She added softly.  
  
"I don't doubt you Phoebe. I doubt myself, or what you will think of me."  
  
In guise of response, she put her head on his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her and began stroking her back lovingly.  
  
For a long moment, they stood there in silence. Phoebe could feel how much he wanted her already, and she could hear his heart quickening at her touch. She sensed that he was restraining himself, maybe for fear that she would take his advances the wrong way…  
  
In that instant, she loved him more if it was even possible. She lifted her face toward him while caressing his chest and reveling at the tremors that she felt in him for her every touch.  
  
He was already leaning to take her offered lips but stopped midway.  
  
"Phoebe, I don't want you to think that this is the only thing I want from you. I…I want to share my life with you. So if you do not feel like…"  
  
The inviting smile that formed on her lips then left him no doubts on what she wanted, but he let her pull his face to hers nevertheless.  
  
"I do…" She whispered breathlessly before pressing her lips against his.  
  
Freed from the restraint, his kiss was immediately deeper and more wanting than ever. He lifted her impatiently, effortlessly carrying her back to the canoe of their first night. His impatience grew on her as she helped him undressing, urging him on. She just wanted him inside of her now, back to this moment where they were alone in the world, where nothing else but them and the pleasure they gave each other mattered. When he reached inside her, she had to bite her lips to silence the scream of delight she felt coming.  
  
"Oh Phoebe," he whispered in a voice strangled by the pleasure she was giving him. This alone was enough to carry her over the threshold between pleasure and ecstasy.  
  
He had never felt such pleasure and satisfaction with any women before, and yet, he knew that he could never get enough of loving her.  
  
For the longest time, they both forgot about the danger lurking about, simply knowing that they were alone on a blissful Island. However, the clamor from the Watchman in the tower brought them back to reality rudely.  
  
The man had seen land, and in his loud voice, they could both hear the slight surprise. Phoebe was no less surprised and turned to Cole askance.  
  
"I thought that we were not supposed to arrive for another two days?"  
  
Cole pulled away from her reluctantly, already dressing up with a very serious expression.  
  
"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. A few hours from now, it will all be over one way or the other…"  
  
"So soon?" She asked anxiously.  
  
He turned back to her, sensing the fear in her voice.  
  
"There's no other choice, Phoebe."  
  
She was gathering her clothes hurriedly, and he felt infinite regret at the loss of their beautiful moment.  
  
In all this, she had almost forgotten about Li, but now it came back to her all at once, as she followed Cole out of the canoe.  
  
Grabbing his arm firmly, she began anxiously:  
  
"Oh my god, Cole, Li can't do this. It's too soon…"  
  
"I understand your worry, Phoebe. However, this is their best chance to go free. I'm sure that the others will take great care of her and the baby. If all goes well, Paul's friends will be hiding them and giving them shelters in only a few hours. We have to hope for the best."  
  
"Cole, there's something else. I don't think that they will follow Paul."  
  
Cole looked at her incredulously:  
  
"Why on earth wouldn't they? We're offering them their freedom!"  
  
"Yes, but they don't know that. From their point of view, you have betrayed them…"  
  
He was about to protest, but she put her fingers to his lips lightly, stopping him.  
  
"I know that it is not so. Nevertheless, they do not. They were even suspicious of me today…"  
  
He took her hand away from his lips, but held it to his chest, before replying cautiously: "What do you suggest?"  
  
He feared that he already knew what she had in mind and disliked the possibility.  
  
"I have to go to them."  
  
"No," was his impulsive response. "You can't go there, it's too risky."  
  
"Cole, someone has to make sure that they'll listen. You did not give me time to prepare them," she added, with a hint of reproach that he felt deeply.  
  
"I still think that it's too dangerous for you. And I won't be able to help you, as my part in this plan is essential and will keep me away from you."  
  
"I can take care of myself."  
  
"I just wish that I was certain…" Cole added anxiously.  
  
"Do not worry. I won't take any unnecessary risk."  
  
Before he could protest further, she deposited a light kiss on his lips, and then walked away quickly, as he watched apprehensively. He was tempted to try stopping her, but he knew that time was of the essence. At this moment, he was certain that Paul and Leo had already started on their own part in the plan. He tried his best to convince himself that she was going to be all right, while moving away in turn.  
  
Paul watched Prue sleeping and was tempted to wake her up, even as he dressed up in a hurry, alerted by the watchman's call. Still, he did not want her to see the pain in his eyes. He preferred that she remembered him, as they were that night, happy beyond compare in each other's arms.  
  
He pushed a strand of Prue's hair away, looking at her as if he could imprint her image in his mind. Sighing heavily, he kissed her forehead lightly and turned away from her. With all his might, he wished that this was not necessary. Yet, he promised himself that he would find her again. "Hopefully," he thought, "she will still want me then…"  
  
"Good bye, my love," he whispered before closing the door behind him.  
  
Phoebe soon arrived at the cells, and found the slaves very much awake and seemingly agitated, as if they already knew that something was going to happen. Paul came in right behind her, expressing surprise and concerned at her presence.  
  
"What are you doing here? Now is really not the time!"  
  
Phoebe turned resolutely toward him.  
  
"On the contrary, Mr. McKail, now is very much the time. I'm afraid that you will accomplish nothing without my help."  
  
Paul eyed her dubiously, but did not protest, as he had wondered himself how he would make them understand.  
  
He and Phoebe gave nervous glances in the direction of the handlers now coming their way. They relaxed somewhat however, at seeing Leo behind them. The two sailors came closer and gave a knowing look toward Paul, then stared suspiciously at Phoebe. Not detaching his eyes from her, one of them spoke:  
  
"You have to hit us hard. If the captain thinks that we were overcome, he might not hang us for this."  
  
Paul sensed Phoebe's reaction and took her arm firmly, urging her not to say a word. Instead, he directed her toward the now opened cell door, and turned to accomplish the grim task of hitting both handlers. The two of them fell unconscious, and Paul turned askance toward Leo.  
  
This one answered the unspoken question:  
  
"As first officer, my first duty is to protect my Captain. Let's leave it at that."  
  
Paul was amazed at Leo's loyalty to Captain Turner and Leo noticed his incredulous stare.  
  
"Besides," he then added as an explanation, "I believe in what we're doing, and I see no point in risking exposure for more people than necessary."  
  
He had also noticed Phoebe's presence with a certain annoyance.  
  
"What is she doing here?"  
  
Paul just shrugged:  
  
"I guess that it doesn't matter now, and at least she can help us keeping them calm."  
  
Most of the slaves were stepping away from her, probably wondering what all this agitation was about. Some gave hopeful looks at Phoebe after seeing what happened to the handlers, but they were obviously still fearful.  
  
She tried her best to reassure them, and motioned them out of the cell vigorously.  
  
When they still hesitated, Paul became impatient, and pulled the pistol that Leo had provided him out of his belt.  
  
"They have to hurry up, Ms Halliwell. The diversion will not last long."  
  
She turned to him and gasped at the sight of the pistol.  
  
"Please put this away, they are scared enough as it is."  
  
Reluctantly, he put back the pistol where he took it from, but still insisted:  
  
"I will give you a few more minutes, but no more… Time is of the essence."  
  
Phoebe understood this very well, and she turned back toward the slaves, now frantically trying to persuade them to come out.  
  
Kari was the first one to move toward her, with her new grand son cradled in her arms. Li followed supported by a young man. Then, the old man that had greeted Cole on his first visit turned to the others apparently urging them on. Phoebe let herself sigh in relief as they soon followed her out of the cell.  
  
Phoebe watched them going, encouraging a few along, while still wondering how they could expect that so many people would go unseen out of the hold.  
  
The answer came with a loud bang followed by many others. She uttered a little scream at this unexpected noise. She thought for a moment that they might be under attack again. Looking in Paul's direction anxiously, she understood from his calm expression that it must have been part of the plan. This did not prevent the slaves from dashing back nervously, and she immediately tried to forget her own fear while coaxing them along.  
  
Cole had found the canon alley deserted, as expected at this time of night. He soon saw that Leo had been working efficiently, as all the canon were ready to fire with fuses of various sizes.  
  
He waited a long moment, pacing nervously. He could only hope that by the time he lit those fuses, the slaves would be already on their way out of the cells. The diversion would only work for a short period, as he knew.  
  
He was worried about Phoebe, and about what might happen if someone discovered them. However, there was no time to remedy this. Finally, when he thought that it was time, he brought the torch that hung close by to the first fuse, and quickly lighted them all, then ran out of the canon hold before the first shot resounded…  
  
From the first explosion, the watchman turned his attention toward the port side, forgetting altogether about the other side of the ship. Sailors were nervously pouring out of the lower deck, most of them only half dressed, as they ran toward the port side in total confusion and panic. Most of them were trying to distinguish what they were shooting at, and that kept them from checking on the canons for a while longer.  
  
That is all that Paul waited for, as he urged the slaves toward the other side of the ship and the canoes that had been lowered and set at the ready, unbeknown to the crew. Nervously, he saw the first few almost jumping in the boats, and then they thankfully turned to help the women in. As soon as one of the canoes was filled, Leo and Paul were lowering it quickly to the sea, and the black men in each of them did not lose time paddling away.  
  
Paul had to embark on the third one and let Leo take care of the rest, as this one nodded understandingly. They had just about half of the slaves in the canoes when the last cannonball left the ship, and the sudden reduction in noise startled them.  
  
Leo nervously urged the remaining ones, looking back toward the other side and wondering when someone would wise up to what was happening.  
  
Unfortunately, his fears were founded, as a few sailors had noticed agitation there and were already on their way toward them.  
  
When he saw them, he knew that his chances of keeping his role in the escape a secret were shot to hell. Pulling his pistol, he turned toward the newcomers. These were now aware of what was happening and moved faster toward them, also pulling their weapons out. By then, thankfully, many of the slaves were already approaching the first of the small Islands that lay out there.  
  
Cole had been observing from afar, unable to keep away. Now he saw that the situation was degenerating and, forgetting all discretion, he pulled his pistol as well, coming out in the open from behind the approaching men. He called loudly to them, stopping them in their tracks.  
  
"Who goes there?"  
  
One of them, recognizing the authoritative voice, turned toward him.  
  
"Captain, the slaves are trying to escape."  
  
The man immediately noticed the pistol trailed on them rather than the slaves, and he asked in puzzlement: "Captain?"  
  
Cole looked toward Leo rather than answering his man. Meanwhile, some of the other sailors had started back toward the first officer.  
  
He was still unsure of what to do when Phoebe, who had stayed back to make sure that no one would be left behind, came out of the hatch right by the sailors.  
  
The closest one noticed her right away, and without hesitation, pulled her to him, putting the pistol at her throat.  
  
Phoebe was too surprised to react and Cole knew then that he had hesitated too long. Moving toward them threateningly, he tried to order them away from her. The sailor looked at him in surprise, finding it strange that he would not care about the slaves escaping.  
  
"Sir, we're not going to let them go." Then, he turned toward Leo and the remaining black people: "Put the pistol down or she gets it."  
  
Leo only hesitated a moment longer, then he dejectedly threw the gun toward the deck. He cast a sad look toward the remaining slaves, knowing that this had just quashed their hope for freedom.  
  
Cole was still advancing on them, but the men were now wary of his attitude. Turning toward him now, the sailor who still held Phoebe warned him.  
  
"Captain? I don't know what's going on here, but I will not hesitate to kill this lady if you don't stop."  
  
This he said in response to Cole's obvious threatening stance toward him.  
  
"Let go of her!"  
  
In spite of the apparent authority, the sailor could detect the fear in his voice, telling him that he should not listen. "Well, well, sir, it would seem that you fooled us all. Drop it, I'm not joking."  
  
Cole could not bring himself to trust that the man would not kill her anyway. He looked into her eyes, reading abject fear in them. Cocking the gun, he straightened it toward the sailor. "Let go of her, I said!" He repeated this very deliberately, trying to use his status as an incentive.  
  
As if things were not bad enough, the sailor that had talked to Leo about the captain a few days earlier, was among them. The Captain's attitude coupled with what he had witnessed and heard since then finished convincing him that Cole had indeed become a slave lover.  
  
When seeing that he was not backing down, he leveled his pistol and shot at him. Cole looked down in what seemed utter disbelief, a bloodstain already forming on his side. Then, he simply fell to the deck, unconscious.  
  
The sound had been deafening, but nothing in comparison to Phoebe's scream, as forgetting about the pistol, she struggled and managed to get away from the sailor, helped by the fact that he got startled.  
  
Throughout all of this, none had noticed a ship approaching rapidly. A day or so earlier, the watch had seen a ship in the farthest, but this one fell back quickly and the slight worry that had arisen at the sight was soon forgotten. What they did not know was that the vessel, which they had spotted, was the very same pirate ship which had attacked them a few weeks earlier. After making hasty repairs, the pirates had decided to head back to their stronghold on one of the Islands that Paul had chosen for the escape. They had also spotted the merchant ship, but in return, they had recognized it for the very same one that had crippled them.  
  
The Captain had been tempted to exact revenge then, but decided to wait when he realized the curious heading they were taking.  
  
Now, close to their own home, they had observed the extraordinary display of force, with no enemy in sight. Then while approaching, they saw the canoes leaving the ship. Although the pirate was tempted to go after the canoes, he soon realized that those were filled with black people. Instead, he concentrated on the ship itself, knowing that they could not recharge fast enough, and that they were now an easy prey… 


	11. Eye of the Storm(chapter 11)

Eye of the Storm  
  
Chapter XI  
  
As he was slowly regaining consciousness, Cole got the distinct impression that someone had put a heavy weight on his chest. Every breath was laborious and painful. As if through a tunnel, he heard Phoebe calling to him anxiously. With great effort, he lifted his hand blindly toward her voice, and met the soft skin of her face, wet with tears. Immediately, she grabbed his hand, a little too forcefully, so tense she was. "Cole, oh my God, Cole, please, look at me! Please…"  
  
Her plea coming through her sobbing told him more about the seriousness of his injury than the pain, even.  
  
She was caressing his face now, trying to revive him, he thought. Cole managed to open his eyes and looked directly into hers. At first, these were filled with worry, but it quickly changed into intense relief, as she realized that he was awake.  
  
"Phoebe?" He managed hoarsely, before coughing painfully.  
  
He had trouble remembering what happened exactly, but he somehow knew that he should be grateful to see her there.  
  
Seeing his grimace of pain, Phoebe became concerned anew, and he tried to smile reassuringly, only half-succeeding. Slowly, he began to remember what happened, and turned his head to look around. He could now see and hear the men, who were having an animated discussion. At hearing the gunshot, many more had come their way, but they were mostly concerned with what just happened.  
  
"What the hell got into you? You shot the captain, you imbecile…"  
  
The guilty sailor was protesting weakly, as he was obviously overwhelmed by the other men' stares. "He was helping them…"  
  
"And you think that it will matter what you're saying? If that comes back to the authorities, we will be lucky if they just throw us in prison. Most likely, they'll have us all hanging in no time…"  
  
The men cast scornful looks toward their captain, and then to their first officer before one of them offered a solution…  
  
"We could kill them both…This way, we can tell them what we want them to know, and no one will contradict us…"  
  
From the look on the others' faces, it was apparently a viable solution, although they still seemed to hesitate. Cole looked back toward Phoebe, now more worried about what they would do to her…  
  
"Phoebe," he tried again, breathlessly, "you have to go…"  
  
Phoebe had heard as well.  
  
"I am not going anywhere! I will not let them kill you," she said in a low voice, while moving slowly toward the fallen pistol. This one was still cocked and ready to fire. With a trembling hand, she leveled it toward the sailors.  
  
"No Phoebe, go, please…"  
  
She answered without turning toward him, as she was trying to steady her hand:  
  
"I'm not leaving you…"  
  
By then, one of the sailors had noticed her, and opened wide eyes at this.  
  
"Lady, you better put this down," he uttered nervously, attracting the immediate attention of the other men.  
  
This was all Leo had been waiting for. He moved quickly toward his own pistol, and not losing any time, leveled it at them, and then called loudly.  
  
"The first one who makes a false move gets it. And I can't miss from this distance, trust me."  
  
The men now caught between two pistols began to worry slightly.  
  
"You can't get us all," one of them still boasted, albeit hesitantly.  
  
"Which one of you wants to die first," Leo uttered intently. The men were then certain that he was not bluffing.  
  
Paul was already a good distance from the ship when the canons stopped firing. In the subsequent relative silence, he thought that he heard noises coming from the opposite direction to the ship they had just left. He wondered about it, as he had taken great care of choosing the farthest island from the pirates' settlements. The way he had seen it, with the darkness and the time it would take them to react, the merchant ship should have been well on her way and out of danger by the time they got to this position.  
  
Worried now, he turned toward the black people, who were visibly unaware of the new danger. They were only concentrating on paddling vigorously toward their freedom. He turned back, and strained to see, finally managing to make out the outline of the arriving vessel, which was obviously speeding toward the merchant ship. Paul got a sinking feeling at the sight. He had made a terrible mistake, and now Prue, along with everyone else on the ship, were in mortal danger.  
  
Torn between the slaves' safety and Prue's, he watched the dark silhouette of the approaching ship, while his apprehension grew for every moment.  
  
He was still debating his options, when he heard the loud report of a pistol. This had come not from the incoming ship, he knew, but from the merchant herself, and this time, he did not hesitate. Turning again toward the slaves, he saw that they too had heard and were now panicking.  
  
They had stopped paddling at once, and were looking back toward the ship.  
  
Behind them, Paul could see only one more canoe, and he wondered about this as well. By now, there should have been many more…  
  
He thought that he would have to argue with the black people. However, these had apparently come to the same conclusion as he, because they turned the boat around and went straight toward the last one to have left the ship.  
  
Leo was becoming desperate. He knew that the sailors would not hesitate much longer when they realized that it would be easy to overcome them. He could see Phoebe's hands shaking in spite of her efforts to keep them steady, and knew that they would eventually see the weak link and go for her. He did not think that Captain Turner could help at this point. He had seen him moving slightly earlier, but now he seemed immobile. As for the slaves, they were obviously overcome by fear. They were moving away, albeit slowly, probably wary of the sailors' reaction, were they trying to run.  
  
The stand off had only lasted a few seconds, but his indecision made him nervous. He wondered, as he felt the beginning of a tremor in the hand holding the weapon, if he should not try to plead for the girls and the slaves rather than try saving himself and the captain. At this point, both their chances of survival were minimal at best.  
  
Maybe, if he put Captain Turner and himself at their mercy, they would at least leave the girls alone.  
  
He had just about made this decision and was already lowering the pistol slowly, when a swarm of black people jumping on deck got all their attention. These were now rushing the sailors, soon followed by the younger men among the group still on the ship. The sailors now caught between three separate threats, shot blindly into the coming group of black men, while running toward the other side of the ship. They had still managed to hit a few of the black men, and it acted as a trigger for their rage. Forgetting all about the guns in front of them, they vengefully pursued the sailors. Paul had followed the first wave, and he and Leo watched in horror as the battle ensued, while Phoebe dropped the pistol to return to Cole's side, although not truly reassured.  
  
The sailor were now all shooting at the oncoming attackers, however, by then the black people were coming at them with all the resentment that they had for the way they had been treated. Ignoring the casualties, they still went on. There were twice as many of them as the sailors on deck by then, as more of them were coming back on the ship. Paul had tried to restrain them, but the obvious fear for their compatriots had galvanized their courage and rage.  
  
Before coming onto the ship, they had moved the men from one boat to the other of their own accord, sending the women and children to the other canoe. Then more of the canoes had been on their way back, obviously alerted as well by the gunshot, and the first canoe turning back.  
  
Leo and Paul quickly saw that they could do nothing to prevent the worse. At the moment, their first concern went to Piper and Prue, who were still missing, and to Captain Turner, who was still bleeding profusely from his wound, cradled into Phoebe's arms. Leo moved toward these two quickly, now ignoring the battle that raged close by. "Is he conscious," he asked nervously.  
  
Before she could answer, he saw the captain open his eyes and look directly at him, then toward the battle.  
  
"What is happening," he managed.  
  
"It doesn't matter Captain, there's nothing more that we can do about this. We have to get you treated soon…"  
  
Phoebe gave him a grateful look at this.  
  
Turning toward Paul, Leo asked again:  
  
"Are there any good doctors where you were intent on bringing the slaves? I doubt that the medic will be in the mood to help him," he added, indicating Cole.  
  
Paul was looking frantically around and took a moment before he answered.  
  
"We do have a doctor yes, but right now, we have another problem."  
  
As if on cue, the first cannonball fell only feet away from the ship…  
  
This startled the combatants at once, as both groups turned in block toward aft, where the first hit had been heard. Soon after they heard the second incoming cannonball, and this one hit its target, falling directly on the Captain's cabin, where Piper had stayed…  
  
Prue had awakened with a start at the first shot of the canons, and thoroughly panicked when she did not find Paul by her side. Dressing up in a hurry, she had still hesitated at going out, although she knew that this place was no safer than outside if there was an actual enemy in sight ready to riposte. Of course, she had understood that this was most probably the decoy, which they had planned for the slaves' escape. After a while, flinching for every explosion, she made the decision to go out anyway, as her fears were only equaled by the anger she felt toward Paul for leaving her like this.  
  
She had guessed right away that he had not wanted her to know he was leaving for good. Even if she understood where he had come from, she was still very upset with him for it. Worried that her previous hesitation might have given him time to leave, she hurried out, first going toward the cells in the hope that she would find him there.  
  
In the hallway, sailors still rushing toward the main deck slowed her advance. She tried to stay out of sight mostly, until the number trickled to only a few, and then she ran toward the hold. There she found only the two men, still unconscious and the empty cells, with a sinking feeling.  
  
She was about to run back up, hoping that he had not left the ship yet, when one of the few sailors still below deck stopped her unceremoniously.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Then his eyes grew wide at the sight of the empty cell.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
Turning angrily toward Prue:  
  
"If you had anything to do with this lady…"  
  
The threat was plain in his voice, and Prue took a few steps back…  
  
Always keeping his eyes on Prue, he went to the unconscious sailors and kicked one of them in a rude attempt to revive him.  
  
This one moaned weakly, then opened his eyes, looking around in confusion.  
  
"What?" "Hey you," said the first sailor, "what happened here?"  
  
The one who had just awakened took a moment to get back on his feet, massaging his side where the first one had kicked him.  
  
"This McKail came in here with a pistol and got us to open the cells. Then he knocked us out. I have no idea what happened next."  
  
Only then did the man look toward the cells, and conveyed a convincing horrified surprise. In turn, he also exclaimed: "What the hell?"  
  
Ignoring the third sailor, who remained unconscious, the first one went toward Prue menacingly, and reiterated: "Lady, if you had anything to do with this, you will regret it."  
  
By then, Prue was cornered, and her anger and fear grew all at once.  
  
Only then did they all realize that the canons had become silent. Taking her arm rudely, he pulled her away from the wall where she had ended up, and pushed her ahead of him, while pulling a pistol and pointing it at her.  
  
"Move!"  
  
He did not have to tell her twice.  
  
The second sailor, now out of the first one's sight, looked upon them with some indecision, but did not dare do a thing just yet, choosing to follow them instead.  
  
They were already almost to the main deck, when the first gunshot resounded. The first sailor, startled, pulled Prue back toward the lower deck where he held her, while obviously pondering his next move.  
  
He had just about decided to go on, when the clamors and the multiple gunshots started, convincing him that they were under attack.  
  
The first cannonball falling near the ship, as he surmised, confirmed his fears.  
  
Forgetting about Prue, he started up the steps, apparently having found his courage, soon followed by the other sailor, who now realized that the escape might be the least of their concerns.  
  
Prue was very much aware that something had gone wrong, but she had no idea what. All that mattered to her now was to make sure that her sisters were ok. Forgetting her own safety, she started up the steps in turn, and came out on the main deck just in time to see the next projectile hit the cabin…  
  
The explosion drowned her scream…  
  
Piper had not found rest at all. Her sisters had both sneaked out and left her alone once more, as she had pretended to sleep. She had worried about her sisters being out there, but assumed that the men they were with were just as concerned about them as Leo was about her. He had warned her about the diversion, but even so, when she heard the first canon shooting, she flinched and cowered toward the back of the cabin. She wished that Leo were there with her, as she felt so isolated.  
  
Leo had made her promise not to get out of the cabin at any cost, but after a while, she could not stand the not knowing… She was already opening the door when she realized that the canons had become silent. She then was torn by indecision. She knew that he had good reasons to want her out of the way, but she was very worried and curious. Still, she decided to heed his advice and stayed in.  
  
Returning slowly toward the middle of the cabin, she tried her best to calm down while sitting awkwardly. She had almost managed to when the first gunshot resounded. Startled and now frightened out of her mind, she stood up, but stayed frozen in place, her mind filled with terrible images of her sisters or Leo being hurt or worse. The next series of gunshots mixed with loud clamors, got her out of the trance, but again she went to the back of the cabin, more scared than ever. Working through this, she had already made up her mind to go out anyway when the first cannonball hit. She barely had time to consider this development, before she heard the next incoming one. Then, everything went blank…  
  
Leo looked up at the first hit and miss, even as he had been preparing to move the Captain. The next one finished to floor him, as he recalled painfully his own advice to Piper.  
  
Without hesitation, he left the others behind, and started running toward the now devastated cabin. Paul saw him go with even more apprehension, as he had no idea where Prue was at the moment. He was soon partially reassured on the subject however, when he saw her running toward the cabin as well. Now, he was uncertain about his course of action. The captain had to be moved to one of the canoes, and sent on his way soon, but then, he would have to go with them anyway. It did not take him long to decide what to do. Leaving them behind, he went to rejoin with Leo and Prue. This time, he would not leave without her.  
  
Phoebe was crying again, the weight of her worries almost too much to bear. She could not leave Cole alone, yet she could not stay away while her sister might be in need of her. Cole, even through his weakened state, saw her dilemma, and trying very hard to forget about the pain, he moved to stand up.  
  
"No," she said to him, "you cannot move now, you will kill yourself."  
  
"I will be fine Phoebe, your sister is in danger and we have to help…"  
  
Leaning on her, he managed to stand, but the dizziness threatened to overwhelm him. "Cole, this is crazy, you can barely stand and you are still bleeding."  
  
He just shook his head vaguely in protestation, and had to fight a wave of nausea at this.  
  
Another explosion resounded, this time near the bridge, and the combatants broke the fight for good, even as a few of the sailors were running either toward the canon hold or to get more weapons. However, the majority, now devoid of a chain of command, saw the futility of this and ran toward the canoes. Another skirmish ensued, as the slaves were themselves fleeing now.  
  
All of this, Cole had to watch helplessly, while simply struggling to stay up. He could barely put his foot forward, let alone try to bring back order on his ship. By his own fault, at any rate, they had no efficient means to defend the ship. The canons were unusable for at least another hour…By then, the ship would be lost.  
  
Guilt ridden, he still tried to ignore this, just as everyone else had forgotten about them, only trying to save their own skin. Instead, he turned toward the cabin, still supported by Phoebe.  
  
Phoebe continued protesting, but her fear for her sister was plain to see. However, she did not have the strength to help him all this way, and he almost fell only a few feet hence. That is when Cole felt two pairs of arms taking a hold of him. Looking aside, he recognized the old man that had greeted him in the cells. This one had recruited another younger man to help, and was trying to pull him back toward the canoes.  
  
"No," Cole said, as firmly as he could, "I have to help them…"  
  
The old man, having figured out what he meant in spite of the language barrier, looked at him incredulously and shook his head energetically, still pulling. In the end, Cole had to surrender to his will, as he did not have enough left in him to fight the two black men.  
  
Phoebe followed them all the way to the railing, but stopped short of embarking herself. She gave Cole a meaningful look before spinning around and running toward the cabin in turn. In that instant, Cole thought that his physical pain was nothing compared to his fear for her. He tried once more to break free from the slaves, but only succeeded in falling hard to the deck. The slaves did not lose time and grabbed him again, quickly lowering him toward the waiting canoe. At this point, however, he had no way of knowing this, since he had passed out again…  
  
Leo got first to the cabin, soon followed by Prue, and both of them started screaming Piper's name at the top of their lungs, while trying to push the rubble out of the way. The noise level was such now, however, that they did not know if she could hear them, was she still able to.  
  
Meanwhile, Paul had been able to assess the situation, while coming toward them. He realized that if the front of the cabin had been totally destroyed, the back of it was still standing. If Piper had been where the cannonball hit, then there was no hope of finding her alive, but if she had not…  
  
Running toward them, he pulled Leo to him.  
  
"We have to go in the back and try to crash through the wall," he said very loud. Leo was looking at him crazily, made mad with fear, and did not understand what Paul meant. This one could see the heavy smoke coming from the rubble and knew that if she was alive, there was no time to lose.  
  
Taking a firm hold of Leo, Paul shook him almost violently:  
  
"We need something to crash the wall, now!"  
  
Finally, Leo reacted. Looking around nervously, he spotted an ax still hooked up under the railing not far from them, and indicated it to Paul. This one did not lose time and ran to it, while Leo, now aware of Paul's plan, went to the back of the cabin, thankfully still accessible in spite of the surrounding damage. There, he started screaming Piper's name again…  
  
Piper woke up coughing, and half-covered with rubble. Fear gripped her right away, as there was no way that she could go out of the cabin. The front of it was completely destroyed, and the roof had fallen in its place, blocking the way. She could see the fire and the smoke from where she was. It was obvious that if no one helped her soon, she would be asphyxiated or worse. In a panic, she almost did not hear the muffled scream coming from behind her. She turned toward the new sound, at first wondering, then certain that someone was calling to her. She tried to call back to them, but her first tries ended in a fit of coughing. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she envisioned the terrible end that would befall her…  
  
Paul came back as fast as he could, although he had gone further and found another ax, which he now was handing to Leo. Leo hit the wall a few times, then tried calling again, hoping that she could still hear in spite of the noise. At last, he thought that he heard something from inside and called even louder, as he started hitting the wall with renewed energy.  
  
The loud noise startled Piper. She thought that she could feel each hit deep inside, and jumped every time. For a moment, she wondered if those were not small explosions, but then she saw splinters flying inside, and the smoke began escaping toward the ever-larger hole in the wall. She had no way to know if those were not the people who had attacked the ship, but at this point all she could think of was to get out. Pushing herself up, she hurried toward the opening and breathed in relief when she saw Leo, with his arms already extended toward her.  
  
The hole was barely large enough for her, but she did not care about the scrapes. As soon as she was out, she fell into Leo's arms, as he held her tightly against him. She was now sobbing uncontrollably, while the temporary relief washed over her. Prue came to her then, practically pulling her out of Leo's grasp and holding her in turn, as Phoebe came and hugged both of her sisters. It was not until then that they realized the enemy had stopped shooting. Paul was the first to notice this, although he knew that it would not save the ship, as she was already burning and no one did a thing about it.  
  
"We don't have much time," he uttered tensely. "We have to go back now."  
  
The others simply acquiesced and followed him, their anxiety returning at once.  
  
They had been so intent on Piper's rescue that none of them really knew how long the lull in the attack had lasted.  
  
Paul in particular was wondering about it, as he could see the pirate a little ways from their ship, and yet there were no signs of a boarding party. He hurried behind the others even as a terrible sense of foreboding invaded him.  
  
When they got to the railing, they realized that they had another problem.  
  
The few sailors, who had still been fighting were now abandoning ship as well, but there were no canoes left, and they saw them jumping off and tried their luck at swimming. Paul and Leo looked at the girls with the same thought. They could not even imagine themselves swimming this far, let alone them. Phoebe saw their panicked expressions, and understood what the dilemma was. A thought then came to her. Looking back toward the bridge, she got convinced that the bow was intact.  
  
"Come with me," she uttered imperatively.  
  
Leo looked at her questioningly, unmoving.  
  
"Come on," she insisted, "it's our only chance."  
  
She was already on her way toward the burning bridge, and at first, it really did not seem a good idea to him. Then he remembered about the canoe that they kept there… "She's right," he called to the others.  
  
None of them understood what he meant, but at this point, they had very few options left and followed them.  
  
As luck had it, they managed to get around the bridge and found the canoe, untouched…  
  
Even as they were working at getting the canoe down, unease lingered in Paul's mind. Something was amiss, but he could not figure out what. Then, he looked up at the flag and understood too late what the pirate had been waiting for. He tried to go back to put a white flag up the post, but by then the pirates had already assumed that the ship was not surrendering. They had no way to know that no one was manning the cannons anymore, and would not take the chance. Confirming his fears, he saw the flash of light before he heard the incoming projectile. He barely had time to start running away when he understood that this time it was going to hit the bow…  
  
The old slave had halted about three hundred feet from the ship, and watched anxiously for a sign of the remaining group. He had waited for as long as he could, but some of the sailors had tried to go after their canoe. This had forced them to leave prematurely.  
  
Now, he worried that they would not find another embarkation.  
  
From the distance, he thought that he saw people running toward the rail and that the women seemed among them. Turning toward his companions, he signaled them to start paddling toward the ship again, determined to take them in his boat. The Captain was waking up and he looked up toward the ship as well, an expression of panic on his face, as he remembered right away that Phoebe was still on the burning vessel. He tried to lift himself, but the old man held him tight, indicating to him that they were going back as he could see himself, making it easier to understand the man's signals. Only half-reassured, he calmed down slightly, but still watched the ship anxiously as they approached her. They were only a hundred feet away or so when Cole saw the projectile flying toward the bow of the ship. The cannonball must have hit the small reserve of powder that they kept near the bridge or maybe it had been the raging fire, which did it. Whatever it was, the moment it hit, a loud explosion resounded and debris flew almost all the way to their embarkation. Cole uttered a desperate scream, as he saw his ship breaking in two and plunging toward the deep.  
  
Ignoring his own pain and weakness, he tried to jump out of the boat, even as the slaves were restraining him. When the old man saw that he would not stop, he hit him hard and knocked him unconscious again.  
  
Cole's last thought was that he might as well die, now that he had lost Phoebe, then he could think of nothing as darkness fell upon him… 


	12. Eye of the Storm(chapter 12)

Eye of the Storm  
  
Chapter XII  
  
Cole found himself in a demented sea, carried deep in the water, then pushed out for mere instants, where he could see Phoebe, just as much a prisoner of the merciless storm as he was. Every time he emerged, he tried to reach for her, hearing her desperate calls, but all he could manage was to extend his arms toward her before the sea engulfed him again.  
  
This endless agony seemed to last forever. Then, slowly the storm died away, and he wondered why he was still there, floating in the endless sea. "Why me," he asked, "when all I have ever cared about is gone." Like a mirage, he saw a vessel approaching. He should have hoped for a rescue, but all he wanted was to let himself sink and drown, as only then would he be able to forget the pain. When he looked again, the vessel was almost on him, but it was burning. He recognized his ship, but most importantly, he saw Phoebe in the midst of the flames. She was extending her hand toward him, but rather than the screams of agony he expected, she was calling to him. "Come back to me Cole, please come back. Please!"  
  
This seemed so incongruous that he finally understood he was having a nightmare. In the next instant, he was with her on a deserted sand beach. She was caressing his face, telling him that everything would be fine, that they would be together always. This, he did not want to wake up from. He felt the dream slipping away, but refused to let it go. In the real world, he knew, she was gone. He had not been able to do a thing to save her. He did not want to face a life with this pain in his heart. Suddenly, she seemed to move away from him, but he soon realized that he was the one falling endlessly, while she watched him go with a painful expression. The water was engulfing him again, but this time, he did not come back up. Instead, he hit the bottom hard, and stayed there, eyes closed, wondering why he was not dead already.  
  
Then, she called again. "Cole, please wake up. Come on Cole, please you have to wake up. Look at me."  
  
There was something new. A pain throughout his body that he had not felt until now. Maybe the nightmare was becoming more real. He could still hear her, but he refused to open his eyes for fear that she would disappear again. He could feel her trembling hand on his forehead now. In spite of the pain, he wanted desperately to stay there and know that she was still with him.  
  
"Cole, you have to wake up." She was telling him more impatiently.  
  
"Why," he thought. "If I wake up, you'll be gone."  
  
However, the pain was bothering him so that he moaned and tried to move. Immediately, he heard her scream.  
  
"Cole, thank god, you're awake!"  
  
Without opening his eyes, he tried saying her name, but could only let out a scratchy sound. She was now taking his face in her hands and he felt her lips on his. He finally dared look, half expecting her to vanish. Nevertheless, she was there still, now looking at him with those beautiful eyes, full of tears even as she smiled.  
  
"Phoebe," he managed hoarsely. His throat hurt as much as the rest of him. However, he did not mind the pain.  
  
"How?" He uttered weakly. "You would not wake up, I was so worried."  
  
He closed and opened his eyes again, barely believing that he was not dreaming still.  
  
"I mean, how are you here? I saw you die, I saw the ship go down with you."  
  
She smiled softly. "It's a long story, but suffice to say, I did not die, and now that you have come back to me, I can start living again."  
  
She leaned toward him, depositing light kisses on his eyes and cheeks, then his lips, to which he responded. He lifted his hand slowly toward her at first, then, only after he had felt her hair and her soft skin again, did he finally realize that it was true. She was there, with him, alive.  
  
For a long moment, they just reveled in each other's touch, feel, totally forgetful of everything else. He was so happy that for a moment, he could not feel the pain, only joy.  
  
After a while, she pulled away slightly and he tried to hold her back, afraid that she might still go away. She smiled anew, while taking his hand in hers.  
  
"It's ok my love, I'm not going anywhere…"  
  
He sighed in relief, as she sat on the bed that he now realized he was lying on.  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"On one of the Islands that Mr. McKail indicated to us. Everything is fine now. All that matters is that you will be ok. The rest is not important."  
  
He wondered how she could say that, however. He remembered vividly his ship's last moments and the battle. Still, he was worried that questioning her further might bring some painful memories to her, which she apparently did not want to talk about…  
  
Smiling weakly, he nodded in the affirmative instead.  
  
Another voice caught their attention.  
  
"Oh, I see that you have worked miracles, Ms Halliwell."  
  
Cole turned halfway toward the voice, trying to sit up, but he immediately put his head back on the pillow, as dizziness took him over.  
  
"Don't move," Phoebe warned him uselessly. He had understood that he would need time before he had regained his strength. Understanding however, did not keep the frustration away. The man, whose voice he had heard earlier, came closer, allowing him to put a face on it.  
  
He was tall and with thin features, tanned by obvious long exposure to the sun. His hesitant smile was mixed with some amazement.  
  
"I must say that I never believed you'd wake up…"  
  
"Who are you?" Phoebe answered, while giving the man a grateful look:  
  
"He is the doctor who saved your life."  
  
The man protested with some amusement.  
  
"I don't think so. I'm still wondering whether it was prayers to the good god, or all this voodoo nonsense that your friend," he said, looking directly at Cole, "has brought in here."  
  
Cole wondered not so much about the banter, but rather at the word friend.  
  
"Friend?" "Yes, Fred…"  
  
Cole frowned in total puzzlement.  
  
"To be honest Doctor, I do not have many friends, if any. And I think that I would remember one named Fred…"  
  
The doctor looked just as puzzled, and turned to Phoebe for help.  
  
"He is talking about the old black man that carried you here. We could not pronounce his name and gave him a nickname instead."  
  
"Oh right," the doctor retorted, " I suppose that you would know him by his real name."  
  
Cole did not answer that, as he was slightly embarrassed that he had not known the man's name either. In truth, he had barely understood anything that he ever told him. However, in the end, it had not mattered. They had communicated just fine without a word.  
  
"Fred has been here all week with me. I must say that his idea of prayers made me slightly uncomfortable, but I was not about to say no to any kind of divine intervention," Phoebe was now saying. "All week?"  
  
Her expression turned serious at this.  
  
"Yes, you have been in a coma for the last week, Cole. You had lost so much blood that the doctor did not believe you would recover. Nevertheless, neither Fred nor me ever lost hope." He squeezed her hand gratefully, but still wondered about all this. So much could have happened in that time…  
  
The Doctor examined him quickly, then declared:  
  
"I will send someone with light food, you must be famished."  
  
Hunger had been the last thing on his mind, but he now realized that indeed he was hungry, but mostly very thirsty.  
  
Soon after the Doctor had left, a young black girl came in with a bowl of soup and Fred was with her. He immediately gave Cole a wide grin, to which Cole responded the best he could. He still barely believed that the man had been so interested in his health, but was grateful nevertheless. The thought warmed his heart.  
  
He tried to protest when Phoebe began to feed him, wanting to do it himself, but she smiled mockingly, reassured.  
  
"I see that you are much better, if you are already showing your temper."  
  
If it had not been for the smile that accompanied it, he might have wondered if he had done something wrong. As it was, he settled down and decided to let her do as she pleased, even if it embarrassed him greatly, particularly with Fred still in the room…  
  
For the next few days, all he could do was rest and accept their care, although all he wanted to do was to get up and go out of this room. Not once had he dared ask her what happened on the ship that night. It still bothered him not to know, but he was convinced that she was not ready to talk about it. He hoped that when he could go out on his own, he would find someone else to tell him.  
  
Neither Phoebe, nor Fred would let him get up while they were with him, obviously afraid that he would have a relapse. However, every chance he got, on the rare occasions where they left him alone, he tried to do it on his own… The first few tries were painfully unsuccessful. He almost fell to the floor a few times, and raged at his own weakness. However, he never showed his frustration to Phoebe, although, he was certain that she guessed. On the third day, he finally managed a few steps and was almost caught by Fred, who was just coming in. He had barely managed to get back in bed before the black man entered the rustic house that served as his hospital room.  
  
This one looked suspiciously toward him, as Cole realized that he was slightly out of breath. Giving the old man, what he thought was his most innocent smile, he then pretended to want to sleep. Fred turned around then, but not before giving him a severe look, telling Cole that he had not fooled him. This did not take away from his satisfaction, however. The next few days, he emboldened himself until he finally thought that he could go out on his own.  
  
It was a beautiful morning, and he could finally get a look at the settlement where he had now been staying for the last two weeks.  
  
There were many small houses. None very sophisticated, but they were obviously forming some kind of community. It surprised him greatly. Piracy had never felt all this homey to him. Yet, he could see women and children playing outside as in a real village.  
  
When he saw that no one paid any attention to him, he went out and took the direction of their small harbor.  
  
One ship was anchored. A ship just about the same size as his own. Then, he remembered bitterly that his ship was no more. Looking out, he could see the narrow passage that most probably gave to the open sea. As he had suspected, their port must have been protected from prying eyes. The Island itself was tropical, as all the ones in this part of the world. The vegetation was luxurious and almost reaching the village. All in all, almost a paradise, he told himself.  
  
He was now experiencing some pain on his side, where the wound still reminded him of his misadventure. He knew that he was somewhat unreasonable but the confinement to his room had become unbearable. Lost in thoughts, he almost jumped at Phoebe's voice. "I see that you won't listen to reason…"  
  
"I will be just fine thank you," he answered gruffly, but he immediately changed his tone of voice, when looking at her, he realized that he had been hurtful.  
  
"I'm sorry, I was just so tired of staying in that bed…"  
  
The slight frown vanished from her forehead, and she came by his side, taking his hand in hers while he returned to his contemplation of the harbor. After a moment, she questioned: "What is it?"  
  
His pinched his lips before answering.  
  
"It's nothing…"  
  
Phoebe turned toward him curiously: "It doesn't seem like nothing. Are you thinking about your ship?"  
  
"I do not have a ship anymore," he answered a little too quickly, and she realized that it still was a painful subject.  
  
"You can't blame yourself for this. No one could have foreseen what happened."  
  
"It was my ship, I failed in my duties."  
  
This time his answer had been brusque and unapologetic. Fortunately, she knew that it was not her that he was angry with, but himself.  
  
"There was nothing that you could do. I am sure that when you…"  
  
"When what," he questioned, turning toward her suddenly.  
  
She hesitated. "When you go back at sea…"  
  
"I am never going back at sea. I was not a worthy Captain. The navy was right about me…"  
  
"That's not true. Do not put yourself down like this."  
  
"Why not," he asked, with a derisive laughter. "You said yourself that I was a monster. The men hated me…"  
  
"But they respected your competence and authority."  
  
"You know, it's almost funny that you would defend my qualities as a Captain, considering your former opinion of me."  
  
She smiled gently. "I had time to revise this opinion."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Nevertheless, it doesn't matter anymore, since I will never be a Captain again."  
  
A familiar voice was heard then.  
  
"I would not be so sure about this."  
  
Cole recognized Paul's voice with some surprise.  
  
He had not been certain whether Phoebe was the only survivor, since she had been so reluctant to talk about it. This, of course had been the reason why he had not dared questioning her about the wreck.  
  
Turning toward the newcomer, he reiterated.  
  
"I do not see how I could ever captain another ship. First of all, the authorities probably think that I'm dead, and even if they did not, they would pursue me as a criminal."  
  
"Wrong again," Paul answered with a little knowing smile. "I see that Phoebe did not have time to fill you in on our plan."  
  
Cole frowned, his curiosity picked now.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Phoebe intervened, addressing Paul directly:  
  
"I did not want to get into this, yet. He was still too weak to make any decision."  
  
Cole turned incredulously toward her.  
  
"I think that whatever it is that you are keeping from me, I deserve to know."  
  
She sighed in turn.  
  
"Right. Well, if you will come back to the house with me, Paul and me can begin telling you about it."  
  
He lifted his eyebrows in puzzlement, but still replied:  
  
"By all means, do." Then, indicating Paul, "and maybe you could start from the beginning, and tell me what happened while I was out, starting with how you escaped the wreckage?"  
  
Ignoring his question for the moment, she indicated that they should go now.  
  
Only when he was back in bed and Paul as well as Phoebe were seated, did she start explaining.  
  
"Well, as I told you earlier this week, it's a long story."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
He was passed his hesitations now, as Paul's comments had intrigued him.  
  
"Well," Phoebe began, "if you remember, Piper was stuck in the cabin after the first hit, and I went back to help the others, while Fred carried you into the canoe."  
  
This, he remembered painfully, although not the part about being carried.  
  
"After we got her out," she continued, "there were no canoes left for us to escape the ship, except the one on the bow."  
  
She gave him a little knowing smile, and he knew exactly what she was thinking of. However, Paul's presence prevented any reminiscence.  
  
"We were in the process of putting it down at sea, when the pirates started the attack again. Paul had moved away, but he came back screaming at us to jump. We barely made it out before the explosion. We were stunned, but Paul and Leo helped us in the canoe and we paddled away as fast as we could. Piper and me were fine, but Prue had been hit by one of the debris, and Paul had to haul her into the canoe. She has recuperated now, but it was touch and go for a while. Plus, I must say that seeing another ship that I was on sinking was not exactly a pleasant experience."  
  
Cole had no trouble imagining this. The wreck of his ship had been a horrible vision, made atrocious at the thought that she had died. Now, however, he knew better but it did not erase the terrible anguish that he had felt then. He never wanted to feel like that again.  
  
Phoebe was still talking, and he returned his attention to what she was saying when she said the word prisoners.  
  
"The pirates took us all prisoners after the ship sunk. And in a way, that is what saved you and Prue. Their doctor began taking care of you right after Paul convinced Captain Riley to help us."  
  
Cole turned to Paul with a hint of suspicion:  
  
"You did that?"  
  
Paul knew what he was thinking, but it really was not much of a concern to him now.  
  
"Captain Riley and I were old acquaintances, yes. Although, we had a strained kind of relationship, as I did not agree with his brand of piracy. However, once he knew that I was among you, he listened to me. That is fortunate indeed, because you might just have been hung on top of getting shot. Overkill if you ask me…"  
  
He was smiling in amusement, and Cole thought that his humor was somewhat crude.  
  
"I guess that I should thank you, then…"  
  
"You're welcome," Paul answered comically, almost bowing like after a performance.  
  
"That still does not explain the rest. How are we here and apparently free?"  
  
"Well," Phoebe replied, "after we had convinced him to have his doctor take care of the both of you, Paul had a long discussion with him. He was very unhappy about the first attack and you almost destroying his ship, but Paul made him see that he had his revenge. Captain Riley finally agreed to drop us here, but with the promise that no reprisals would come his way."  
  
Cole wanted to protest.  
  
"Please, remember that he still saved you…" Phoebe interrupted before he could say anything.  
  
Cole could not help adding:  
  
"Yes, but not before destroying my ship and possibly killing many of my men."  
  
Phoebe gave him an irritated look, which compelled him to stop there.  
  
"Most of the men who were killed fell during the battle between them and the slaves. The majority was picked up by Captain Riley's crew and brought along."  
  
"Where are they," Cole then questioned.  
  
"Well," Paul answered this, "we dropped them on a nearby Island with the promise that we would let them know soon what would be done about them…"  
  
Cole gave him another suspicious look.  
  
"I may not be a Captain anymore, but these were my men and I demand that they be released."  
  
"Hola! Demand? Remember, Captain Turner that you are not on your ship anymore. This is my turf."  
  
Paul and Cole stared at each other somewhat angrily for a moment, but Cole backed down first.  
  
"You're right. I'm no Captain anymore. However, I will still ask you to free those men, and send them home."  
  
"It is all up to you, actually. We have done nothing until now, because we did not know whether you would live or die."  
  
Phoebe flinched at this, and Paul gave her an apologetic glance.  
  
"Now that you are better however," he then pursued, "it is time for you to make a decision."  
  
Cole was perplexed and decided to wait and see.  
  
When Paul realized that he would let him continue, he did so.  
  
"There are a few options that offer themselves to you. We could keep these men indefinitely, and then you could return home saying that the ship was attacked by pirates and that only you and Mr. Wyatt survived, by some kind of miracle…"  
  
Cole could not help being tempted by such an option, but the idea of doing so at the cost of his former men's freedom was too much.  
  
He saw that Phoebe was holding her breath, possibly wondering if he would take the coward way. It hurt him slightly that she still doubted him. Yet he could not reproach her to have doubts. This even though, he would never have taken that route, not even before knowing her.  
  
"What else," he replied curtly.  
  
"Well, you could also go back with them and take the chance that they will not talk. After all, they are very much afraid as well, since one of them shot you…"  
  
This would have been the more or less honorable thing to do. Yet, it could mean losing Phoebe for good, if he was found guilty. This option had no more appeal than the last one.  
  
"Whatever other option might I have?"  
  
Phoebe let out a long breath at this and he realized that she had feared his answer even more than to the first option.  
  
"I was kind of hoping that you would opt for something else."  
  
"Honestly, I do not see what other option there is short of staying here, and being a fugitive for the rest of my life," he replied bitterly. No matter what however, he would take it, if it meant being with her.  
  
"There is another possibility," Paul began then, somewhat hesitantly. "But it all depends on if you still have it in you to be a Captain."  
  
"Do I have to remind you that I do not have a ship anymore?"  
  
Paul just gave him an enigmatic smile then.  
  
Phoebe remembered how bitter he was earlier, and thought that it might be better to wait for this. She also worried that the news might agitate him too much and hinder his recovery. Looking intently toward Paul, she tried to convey her opinion to him. Obviously, he understood because…  
  
"Rest a little longer, and in a few days, we'll discuss this again."  
  
Cole stared at him even more perplexed, but neither Paul nor Phoebe would tell him what it was about.  
  
After Paul had left, he tried to question her again.  
  
"Please, just rest. You are not completely recovered and now is not the time." She silenced his protestation with a kiss.  
  
"Trust me," she then whispered.  
  
He had to accept that she would not budge on this, and agreed to wait, albeit reluctantly.  
  
Leo and Piper saw Paul returning and Leo immediately questioned:  
  
"So, what did he say?"  
  
"To be honest, I did not tell him yet. Phoebe seemed to think that it was not the time. At any rate, I believe that he will be more inclined to agree when he sees her."  
  
Leo just nodded in acquiescence.  
  
"In a way, it will give us more time to prepare," Paul said again, "and you can still change your mind?"  
  
"No, I will not. Not unless he refuses. If all goes well, me and Piper will be on our way as soon as we are certain."  
  
Piper smiled weakly, still somewhat afraid that the Captain's decision might hinder their plans for the future.  
  
"Mr. Wyatt, you know that you can stay here with us, don't you?"  
  
Leo gave him a grateful look.  
  
"I know, but I would not feel comfortable here. Besides, no one knows me in the Americas. I can start fresh there. The Captain was right about one thing. I am not cut out to be on a ship. I had figured that one out a while ago, but now, I have a chance to start over."  
  
He took Piper's hand in his.  
  
"We both do."  
  
Piper added:  
  
"Someone has to go home and tell our father that we are fine. Obviously it won't be Prue."  
  
Paul smiled uncomfortably.  
  
"She made her choice, I did not force her into this, you have to know that."  
  
"I believe you. To be honest, I have tried to convince her and Phoebe to come home with me, but they are very stubborn."  
  
She was still smiling while saying this. Although, she was a little sad to leave her sisters behind, she knew that they had chosen their path and were happy.  
  
She still wondered by moments how her father would take all these news, but as far as her relationship with Leo went, she had gone through too much already to be stopped in any way by him. Admiral or not, she would have her own way, she thought, looking lovingly at Leo. He felt her gaze because he turned to her with a sweet smile of his own. It had not been hard for him to make this decision. The idea of being separated from her even for just a short while was too much to bear. Besides, he really did not think that being a sailor was his destiny. He still had to figure that one out, but was confident that he would soon find his own way.  
  
Paul left them to rejoin with Prue, who was also very impatient to know what happened since they had spotted Cole and Phoebe in the harbor.  
  
"So?"  
  
"Not yet. But soon."  
  
"What do you think he will say," she insisted, as she came to him and cuddled into his arms.  
  
He sighed appreciatively at her closeness, and took a moment before answering.  
  
"From what Phoebe told me this week, I think that he might just accept. After all, what we want him for is something that he has started himself."  
  
"Yes, but still…"  
  
"It's in his hands now. When I showed her to him, we will know for sure. Meanwhile," he said in a very different tone of voice, "what do you say we take this stroll down the beach?"  
  
"You are sure that you don't mind staying ashore from now on? I'm not forcing you, am I?"  
  
He smiled widely.  
  
"Really, don't worry yourself. I've had my share of adventures, but I have the feeling that you will be my most tumultuous."  
  
She answered his smile with a crystalline laughter, pulling away from him and starting to run. He watched her going for an instant, then laughing in turn, he went after her…  
  
A few days later, Paul came back and this time, he found that Cole had recuperated nicely. Still, he looked Phoebe's way, as she had been the one insisting that they waited. She seemed a little unsure, but acquiesced nevertheless.  
  
"Well, Captain…"  
  
Cole interjected right there.  
  
"I thought that I said I was no Captain anymore…"  
  
Rather than answering, Paul gave him one more enigmatic smile and indicated that they should follow him. Cole was still perplexed at this mystery and he turned to Phoebe for an answer.  
  
She just smiled encouragingly and took his hand.  
  
They did not have very far to go, as Paul led them back to the harbor, where all Cole could see was the same ship anchored there. He seriously wondered what this was all about.  
  
"You know, Mr. McKail…"  
  
Paul interjected:  
  
"Ahhh, call me Paul, we are way past these formal addresses."  
  
"Paul, then, I have to tell you that patience was never one of my strongest virtues. I am getting sick of all this secrecy."  
  
Phoebe squeezed his hand, making him turn to her with a slightly calmer attitude.  
  
"It won't be long now."  
  
"Hum," he just uttered, trying his best not to upset her.  
  
Leo and Piper were coming their way now, and Leo was watching him strangely, almost expectantly, which deepened the mystery for him.  
  
Awkwardly, he took the hand that the former first officer extended toward him.  
  
"I am glad to see that you are feeling better, sir."  
  
Unable to find anything to tell him, Cole just nodded. He found it strange once again that Leo would be so friendly. Their working relationship had always been strained at best. Yet, his respect for the man had grown throughout the trip here, maybe even because of his unorthodox attitude. His attention was then attracted to the latest arrival. Prue was coming toward them, and on her face he recognized that more than any of them, she was still somewhat wary of him. This did not surprise him, although he was strangely disappointed. Now that he had a chance to make his life with Phoebe, he wanted nothing more than to have her happy. However, for that, he knew that her sisters would have to be included somehow in their lives.  
  
Of course, at this point he had no clue what they would do next and that was still a problem for him. He was still thinking about this when he noticed that all the others were looking out toward the waters. Alerted, he turned to see a large ship coming into the harbor. She looked a lot like a cargo ship but had more elegant lines to her. He was still admiring her when Paul interrupted his train of thoughts.  
  
"What do you think of her?"  
  
"She is beautiful," he said, not bothering to look his away. The ship was turning slightly and he saw that she was not only beautiful but also very well armed. An odd thing for a cargo ship.  
  
"What would you do with this? Are you changing trade?"  
  
Paul smiled with amusement now.  
  
"Well, think of her as a passenger ship with a bite."  
  
At this, Cole turned to him, arching his eyebrows questioningly.  
  
Paul obliged:  
  
"She was supposed to be my ship, but we made a few modifications and I think that she will serve a much better purpose. That is of course, if you're willing to take the job…"  
  
This time, Cole was totally confounded.  
  
"What? You want me to be a pirate?"  
  
Phoebe grabbed his arm.  
  
"Let him finish, ok?"  
  
"You are in on that as well?"  
  
"Please, I asked you to trust me, didn't I?"  
  
"So you did," he answered, still tense.  
  
Breathing deeply, he turned back toward Paul.  
  
"I'm listening…"  
  
"Well you see, Captain," he stopped a moment at the warning stare on the Captain's face, but did not change the appellation. "As I told you, this ship was supposed to me mine. I made most of the modifications for her. I also hesitated a lot before offering it to you, but Leo here, and the crew insisted that you should be the one captaining her."  
  
"The crew?"  
  
As the ship was approaching, it was now possible to distinguish the sailors on her. Paul turned invitingly toward her and Cole finally noticed what was special about the crew. These were all black men…  
  
His surprise was almost comical.  
  
Paul continued.  
  
"If you agree, you will be able to do right by these people and bring them back to their own country. Do not worry, we have trained them and will continue to do so until your departure. Once there, it will be your choice to come back here or stay. For my part," he added, looking toward Prue sweetly, "my days at sea are over."  
  
Cole was floored, and he had no idea what to say. The offer was so tempting, but at the same time, he immediately thought of Phoebe.  
  
Looking back at her, he gave her a questioning look.  
  
She knew how much he wanted this, and she had time to think about it a lot.  
  
Pulling him away from the others, she looked up at him expectantly.  
  
"It is your decision of course. And I know that if we were caught…Well, still, it would be a great cause."  
  
Cole frowned:  
  
"What about you? I can't leave you. Not now…"  
  
She laughed a little:  
  
"Captain Turner, you did not think that I would let you go alone, did you?"  
  
As it dawned on him, a smile lifted the corner of his mouth, soon becoming a happy grin. The ship had now come to a halt and was dropping anchor about a hundred feet from the shore. From where he was, he could recognize Fred, which he had wondered about, since he had disappeared for the last few days. This one was waving happily at him.  
  
He suddenly bit his lips, again sporting an uncertain expression.  
  
"Are you sure? I mean, I thought that you would never go back at sea, not after all that happened to you?"  
  
"I must say that I thought about that a lot. But see, I'm still here, and what's more, I believe that they say the third time is a charm?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
She came into his arms, lifting her face toward him with a wide grin.  
  
"You're not going anywhere without me, and I know that you want to go, so…"  
  
"I swear, if you don't want to," he still said.  
  
She pulled him down to him into a languorous kiss that made the others look away.  
  
"I have all confidence in you, my Captain," she whispered.  
  
Their first night at sea, she brought him to the bow with a little laugh, asking him to keep his eyes closed.  
  
"Come on," she coaxed him, as he protested, dying of curiosity.  
  
When she finally stopped, he asked impatiently:  
  
"Ok, can I look now?"  
  
He heard her giggling and wondered what she had on him, feeling very self conscious at the moment.  
  
"Open your eyes," she then said, with a very different quality to her voice.  
  
At first, he wondered what he was looking at. Then he recognized the markings of his own former ship on the canoe that stood on the bow.  
  
An amused smile formed on his lips.  
  
"See, that is the only thing that I insisted to be on this ship…"Phoebe was saying, while leaning against him suggestively.  
  
Wrapping his arms around her, he asked.  
  
"So, shall we baptize this ship properly?"  
  
Already breathing faster, Phoebe answered impatiently:  
  
"By all means, my love."  
  
He captured her offered lips with his, and carried her toward the boat, with the certainty that they would love each other like this forever.  
  
The End ( 


End file.
